The conflict between Trump and Harvard is escalating. The president is seeking $1 billion in damages from the university
Donald Trump is ramping up his nearly year-long dispute with Harvard University, seeking $1 billion in damages and accusing the prestigious institution of anti-Semitism and bias.
Donald Trump, unleashed against Harvard University. PHOTO: Profimedia
Donald Trump announced late Monday, February 2, in a post on the Truth Social platform, that his administration is seeking one billion dollars in damages from Harvard University, in a significant escalation of the nearly year-long conflict between the White House and the prestigious educational institution.
That statement comes after The New York Times previously reported that the Trump administration was no longer making a cash payment conditional on a deal, but was negotiating the details of a workforce development program worth up to $500 million.
“We are now seeking $1 billion in damages and want nothing to do with Harvard University in the future.” wrote Donald Trump, emphasizing his firm intention to obtain substantial compensation and no further interactions with the university.
In his post, the American president criticized the plan for the University's technical education program, which he considered ineffective.
“It was just a complicated training concept that was completely inadequate and that, in our opinion, would not have been successful,” is Donald Trump's opinion.
The conflict between the Trump administration and Harvard is part of a larger campaign against alleged anti-Semitism in higher education. In his first year in office, Trump froze about $2.7 billion in federal research funds and tried to limit the university's right to enroll foreign students. Harvard sued the federal government, obtaining favorable interim relief, and the administration appealed in both cases.
Negotiations for an agreement between Harvard and the White House have made difficult progress since Donald Trump came to the White House. Thus, last year, in July, the American president stated that the parties could reach a solution “in the next week or so”, in October he claimed that he would have “signed an agreement” with the university, and in November he reminded that an agreement was imminent.
Now, however, he has returned to all these statements and says that his administration no longer wants to have anything to do with Harvard University, to which he is requesting damages of one billion dollars.
“It was just a method by which Harvard was trying to avoid a major cash settlement of more than $500 million, an amount that should have been much higher for the serious and heinous wrongdoing they committed.” accuses Donald Trump, claiming that the university committed acts “criminal, not civil”, but without concretely detailing the alleged illegalities.
The post on Monday, February 2, also took direct aim at Harvard President Alan M. Garber, whose tenure was extended indefinitely in December, accusing him of failing to correct “a very bad situation for his institution and, more importantly, for America itself.”
“He was hired after allegations of antisemitism were brought – I wonder why???” he commented wryly.
In a separate post Tuesday morning, Trump also attacked The New York Times for its coverage of the story and referred to his ongoing lawsuit against the publication.
“The New York Times' coverage of me is so willfully wrong. We'll soon see how I do in my lawsuit against these impostors! FAKE NEWS!”, Donald Trump wrote.
