President Trump called Harvard University “a joke” amid their feud and his threats to revoke funding from the school.
“Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should not longer receive Federal Funds,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social early Wednesday.
Harvard was the first university on Monday to openly reject the Trump administration’s demands to change its policies. The federal government then paused $2 billion in contracts, and Trump has threatened its tax-exempt status.
University lawyers rejected a demand to change the school’s leadership structure, student disciplinary policies, admissions and hiring practices, as well as providing a quarterly report on progress and ending diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.
“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,” Harvard University President Alan Garber said.
Trump slammed the school’s leaders, saying they have “ridiculously high salaries” and are some of the “WORST and MOST INCOMPETENT” leaders to be hired.
After Harvard rejected the administration’s demands on Monday, Trump on Tuesday floated the idea of revoking the university’s tax-exempt status. Most private, nonprofit colleges and universities are exempt from paying federal income taxes because they are classified as organizations with educational missions.
Harvard faculty filed legal action on Friday after the Trump demands were sent, echoing one that was filed by faculty at Columbia University. Columbia saw a loss of $400 million in federal grants after the suit and has since conceded to the administration’s demands, but has not seen the funding restored yet.
Harvard has received support from Stanford University and Yale University in its legal battle. The schools were seeking to defend free speech, promote university self-governance and were looking to join together against political intervention.
The Ivy League has also received support from former President Obama. He said Harvard set an example for other higher education institutions by rejecting the administration’s attempt to “stifle academic freedom.”
Trump, in his post Wednesday morning, criticized Harvard for its former president. From late 2023 to early 2024, former Harvard President Claudine Gay faced pushback about the school’s practices toward combatting antisemitism after she was grilled by lawmakers on Capitol Hill. She was later accused of plagiarism in various papers.
“Look just to the recent past at their plagiarizing President, who so greatly embarrassed Harvard before the United States … Congress,” Trump wrote. “When it got so bad that they just couldn’t take it anymore, they moved this grossly inept woman into another position, teaching, rather than firing her ON THE SPOT.”
“Many others, like these Leftist dopes, are teaching at Harvard, and because of that, Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World’s Great Universities or Colleges,” he continued.