Trump brands Harvard 'antisemitic' and a 'threat to democracy' amid funding battle

The tensions between Harvard and the Trump administration appear to be growing as the president calls the university an "antisemitic, far-left institution" and a "threat to democracy."

Harvard is suing the Trump administration.

JEWISH HARVARD STUDENTS SPEAK OUT AFTER UNIVERSITY SUES TRUMP ADMIN OVER FUNDING FREEZE

Harvard has become a target of Trump’s broader crackdown on universities, much of which is in response to last year’s anti-Israel unrest that erupted on campuses across the country.

On April 11, the Trump administration sent a letter to Harvard University President Dr. Alan Garber and Harvard Corporation Lead Member Penny Pritzker outlining the institution’s failures and a list of demands from the White House. In the letter, the administration accused Harvard of failing to uphold civil rights laws and to foster an "environment that produces intellectual creativity."

The Trump administration threatened to pull federal funding if Harvard did not reform governance and leadership, as well as its hiring and admissions practices by August 2025. The letter emphasized the need for Harvard to change its international admissions process to avoid admitting students who are "hostile" to American values or support terrorism or antisemitism.

Harvard refused to comply with the demands, with Garber saying that "no government… should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and areas of study and inquiry they can pursue." The university later filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its "unlawful" freezing of funds.

Signs near the encampment at Harvard University called for Palestinians to take land in Israel.  (Nikolas Lanum/Fox News Digital)

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In December 2023, Harvard was criticized over its handling of antisemitism and anti-Israel unrest on its campus following Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre and the war that followed. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. — a Trump ally — grilled the university’s then-President Claudine Gay over whether "calling for the genocide of Jews" constituted bullying and harassment. Gay famously said that it depended on the "context," a sentiment echoed by the other Ivy League presidents who were questioned. Less than a month after the hearing, Gay resigned from her position. However, she remains employed by the university.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-brands-harvard-antisemitic-threat-democracy-amid-funding-battle