The Trump administration has been threatening to withhold federal funds from Harvard and several other universities over issues including pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's war in Gaza, campus diversity and transgender policies. "We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, without specifying how he arrived at that figure or what damages exactly he was referring to. Trump said in September a deal was close and would involve a $500 million payment by Harvard. Harvard sued the Trump administration last year and a judge later ruled the government had unlawfully terminated some grants for the university. Several other Ivy League schools, including Columbia University and Brown University, have reached agreements with the administration and accepted certain government demands.

Source: The Telegraph February 03, 2026 08:39 UTC