Trump Sues Harvard for $1B Over 'Woke, Radical Left Ideologies' and 'Feeding Nonsense' to Media

US President Donald Trump has announced that his administration is pursuing a $1 billion damages claim against Harvard University, intensifying a protracted conflict involving allegations of antisemitism and concerns over academic independence.

Trump accused Harvard of spreading 'nonsense' to the press and claimed the university's conduct has been 'very bad' for the nation.

Late on Monday, Trump announced via social media that the government is now seeking billions in damages from Harvard, citing alleged illegalities.

'Strongly Antisemitic Harvard University has been feeding a lot of "nonsense" to The Failing New York Times. Harvard has been, for a long time, behaving very badly!' the President wrote on his Truth Social account.

The announcement followed a report by the New York Times, which indicated that the administration had previously dropped a demand for a $200 million settlement, suggesting negotiations had shifted.

Citing the NYT report, Trump's statement claimed that his administration no longer wishes to maintain any future associations with Harvard.

'They wanted to do a convoluted job training concept, but it was turned down in that it was wholly inadequate and would not have been, in our opinion, successful,' the president stated.

'It was merely a way of Harvard getting out of a large cash settlement of more than 500 Million Dollars, a number that should be much higher for the serious and heinous illegalities that they have committed,' he continued.

'This should be a Criminal, not Civil, event, and Harvard will have to live with the consequences of their wrongdoings. In any event, this case will continue until justice is served. Dr. Alan Garber, the President of Harvard, has done a terrible job of rectifying a very bad situation for his institution and, more importantly, America, itself.'

'He was hired AFTER the antisemitism charges were brought - I wonder why??? We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University.'

'As The Failing New York Times clearly stated, 'Some connected to the University, however, think Harvard has no option but to eventually cut a deal. The Administration has repeatedly attempted to cut off research grants, which would be an untenable crises. Like many major research universities, Harvard relies on federal funding for its financial model.'

'Anti-Israel protests and anti-Semitic incidents'

The confrontation between Trump and Harvard began with accusations of mishandling antisemitism on campus.

Trump has long criticised the university for allegedly allowing anti-Israel protests and anti-Semitic incidents, framing these issues as part of a wider ideological battle against what he describes as 'radical left' influences on American campuses.

Harvard's leadership has consistently refuted these claims, emphasising their commitment to addressing antisemitism and upholding free speech.

In April 2022, the Trump administration took a hard stance by revoking around $2 billion in federal research grants and freezing further federal funding to Harvard.

Harvard responded by filing a lawsuit, arguing that the government was attempting to interfere with its academic independence.

A federal court later overturned the funding cuts, ruling that the government's actions infringed on Harvard's free speech rights. Despite the court ruling, tensions persisted, with the administration threatening to withhold future grants and scrutinise university policies.

'The University will not surrender'

Harvard University, represented by President Alan Garber, has consistently defended its policies and independence. Garber has publicly stated that Harvard takes hate crimes and antisemitism seriously, asserting the university's moral and legal obligation to combat such issues.

'We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement,' read a statement from Gerber published by Harvard online. The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.

Harvard has also challenged the government's attempts to influence its internal decisions, asserting that the university will not surrender its constitutional rights nor capitulate to political pressure.

'No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,' the statement reads.

Legal battles have continued, with Harvard suing the Trump administration in April 2022 for attempting to control academic decision-making.

A federal judge's ruling in September 2023 blocked the administration from cancelling $2.2 billion in research grants, reaffirming the university's rights.

Despite this, the administration has continued efforts to penalise Harvard, including an appeal of the court ruling and threats to revoke federal funding.

Harvard, along with other prestigious universities like Columbia, Penn, and Brown, have faced pressure from the administration to alter their diversity policies and restrict certain campus activities.