The Trump administration is calling on Harvard University to apologize after the school refused to bow to its demands.
On Monday, the White House froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to the university for refusing to yield to pressure from the White House to eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, ban masks during protests, and enforce strict merit-based hiring practices — all part of a broader push to control how universities operate.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt laid out the administration’s demands on Tuesday, calling for an apology from Harvard. “President Trump wants to see Harvard apologize, and Harvard should apologize,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt also criticized Harvard for not disciplining students involved in protests that disrupted campus activities. “The president believes Harvard should apologize to its Jewish American students for allowing such egregious behavior,” she said.
But Harvard isn’t backing down. The university has maintained its commitment to academic freedom, refusing to let political influence dictate its policies or actions.
The Trump administration has gone further, threatening to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status, and even suggested taxing the university as a political entity. When asked about this, Leavitt deferred to the IRS but continued to argue against the university’s federal funding.
“I think the president is also begging a good question: more than $2 billion out the door to Harvard when they have a more than $50 billion endowment — why are the American taxpayers subsidizing a university that has billions of dollars in the bank already?” she said. “And we certainly should not be funding a place where such grave antisemitism exists.”
Meanwhile, Harvard remains resolute in its stance, refusing to apologize or make the changes President Trump is demanding, even as his Trump administration escalates its attacks.
