Trump threatens Harvard’s tax-exempt status after freezing $2bn funding

President Donald Trump called for the Harvard University to lose precious tax relief, a few hours after his administration announced that it was frozen more than $ 2 billion (1.5 billion pounds sterling) in federal funds for the elite institution.

The White House demanded the oldest university in the United States, making changes to hiring, admissions and educational practices which, according to him, will help fight anti-Semitism on campus.

Since his return to his duties, Trump has pushed to reshape the best universities by threatening to retain federal funds which are mainly designated for research.

Harvard became the first major American university to reject the requests of his administration on Monday, accusing the White House of trying to “control” its community.

In an article on Tuesday morning on social networks, Trump threatened to go beyond the reservoir of federal funds and the Tax exemption from the targeted Harvard.

Universities, as well as many charities and religious groups, are exempt from paying federal income taxes. This precious tax relief, however, can be removed if the groups are involved in political activities or move away from their declared ends.

“Perhaps Harvard should lose his status as a tax exemption and be taxed as a political entity if he continues to push the” disease “, he wrote on Truth Social.” Remember, the tax exemption status is completely contingent to act in the public interest! “”

The loss of exemption could cost Harvard millions of dollars each year.

Later Tuesday, the white house press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump wanted the university to apologize for what his administration said is tolerance to anti -Semitism.

“”[Trump] wants to see Harvard apologize and Harvard should apologize, “said Leavitt.

The radical changes required by the White House would have transformed Harvard operations and will give up significant control to the government.

His letter to Harvard Friday, obtained by the New York Times, said the university had not lived up to “intellectual conditions and civil rights” which justify the federal investment.

The letter included 10 categories for the proposed modifications, in particular:

• report students to the federal government who are “hostile” to American values
• Ensure that each university service is “Viewpoint Miscellaneous”
• Hiring of an external part approved by the government with programs and departments “which feed most of anti -Semitic harassment”
• Check faculty staff for plagiarism

President Trump accused major universities not to protect Jewish students when university campuses across the country were shot by demonstrations against war in Gaza and American support in Israel last year.

The letter orders the university to take disciplinary measures for “violations” that occurred during the demonstrations.

By explaining his rejection of these requests, Harvard president Alan Garber said that the university will not give up its independence or will not abandon its constitutional rights under the first amendment protecting freedom of expression.

“Although some of the requests described by the government aim to combat anti-Semitism, the majority represents the direct government regulations for” intellectual conditions “at Harvard,” he said.

Shortly after the sending of its letter of resistance, the Department of Education said it was frozen $ 2.2 billion in grants and $ 60 million in Harvard immediately.

“Harvard’s declaration is reinforcing today the disturbing mentality of rights which is endemic in the most prestigious universities and colleges in our country,” the Ministry of Education said in a statement.

The disruption of the learning that rages campuses is unacceptable and the harassment of intolerable Jewish students, according to the press release.

A history teacher at Harvard, David Armitage, told the BBC that school could afford to resist as the richest university in the United States and that no price was too high to pay freedom.

“It is not an unexpected act of entirely foundation and revenge activity of the Trump administration which wants nothing more than silenced freedom of expression,” he said.

In March, the Trump administration said it was reviewing around $ 256 million in federal contracts and subsidies at Harvard, and an additional $ 8.7 billion in multi -year subsidy commitments.

Harvard teachers filed a complaint in response, alleging that the government illegally attacked freedom of expression and academic freedom.

Harvard, who has an endowment of $ 53 billion, is one of the many elite universities in the reticle of the new presidency.

New York Columbia University agreed with a number of requests last month after the White House made $ 400 million in federal funding.

Vote by Gallup last summer suggested This confidence in higher education has dropped over time among Americans from all political backgrounds, partly motivated by an increasing belief that universities push a political program. The drop was particularly steep among the Republicans.