Trump Demands $1bn From Harvard, Says Talks With University Are Over

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University, declaring that he no longer wants any future engagement with the Ivy League institution.

“We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Trump and officials aligned with his administration have accused Harvard and other elite universities of promoting what they describe as “woke” ideology, while also failing to adequately protect Jewish students during pro-Palestinian campus protests. These accusations have formed the basis of legal complaints and financial demands against several institutions.

Critics, however, have described the moves as part of a broader pressure campaign targeting liberal-leaning universities.

A similar approach previously yielded results. Last summer, Columbia University agreed to pay $200 million to the Trump administration and committed to policy changes that bar the consideration of race in admissions and hiring decisions.

However, according to a report by The New York Times on Monday, Trump has now withdrawn his administration’s demand for a $200 million settlement from Harvard following prolonged negotiations.

Trump had earlier told reporters in September that discussions with Harvard were nearing a potential $500 million settlement, which would have included plans to establish trade schools.

Addressing the issue again late Monday, Trump dismissed Harvard’s proposal, saying the job-training plan offered by the university was inadequate.

“They wanted to do a convoluted job training concept, but it was turned down because it was wholly inadequate and would not have been successful,” he wrote.

He added that the proposal was an attempt by Harvard to avoid a much larger financial settlement, insisting that the damages sought should be “much higher” given what he described as “serious and heinous illegalities,” though he did not specify which laws the university had allegedly violated.

Meanwhile, the University of Pennsylvania, another Ivy League school, also yielded to pressure from the Trump administration last year, announcing a ban on transgender women participating in women’s sports.