President Donald Trump said on Monday that he&#8217;s expecting Obama-appointed Judge Allison D. Burroughs to rule against his administration in its federal funding fight with Harvard, blasting her as a &#8220;total disaster.&#8221;
The Trump administration squared off with Harvard in front of Burroughs in a Boston courtroom Monday as both parties seek a final ruling after Harvard sued the federal government over Trump&#8217;s funding freeze. Both Harvard and the Trump administration asked Judge Burroughs to rule on the case without going to trial, but Monday&#8217;s hearing ended without a decision, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/07/21/trump-harvard-hearing/">reported</a>.
Despite not deciding on the case, the judge appeared favorable to Harvard&#8217;s arguments and questioned the Trump administration&#8217;s move to strip federal funding from the Ivy League school. During the hearing, Burroughs said that the federal government provided “no documentation, no procedure” to determine if Harvard has &#8220;taken enough steps&#8221; to combat antisemitism, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-funding-cuts-court-0e9100198461e1df52b5a5a4d11837ed">according</a> to the Associated Press.
“The consequences of that in terms of constitutional law are staggering,” she said. “I don’t think you can justify a contract action based on impermissible suppression of speech. Where do I have that wrong?&#8221;
Burroughs previously ruled in favor of Harvard after the Trump administration moved to prohibit the university from enrolling foreign students.
&#8220;The Harvard case was just tried in Massachusetts before an Obama appointed Judge. She is a TOTAL DISASTER, which I say even before hearing her Ruling. She has systematically taken over the various Harvard cases, and is an automatic &#8216;loss&#8217; for the People of our Country!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114892486666754017">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
&#8220;How did this Trump-hating Judge get these cases? When she rules against us, we will IMMEDIATELY appeal, and WIN,&#8221; he added.
The Trump administration stripped more than $2 billion from Harvard earlier this year, citing anti-Israel sentiment on its campus and the school&#8217;s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The president added on Monday that it&#8217;s &#8220;unfair&#8221; for billions of dollars to be handed out to Harvard over other American universities, calling Harvard &#8220;anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America.&#8221;
&#8220;Harvard has $52 Billion Dollars sitting in the Bank, and yet they are anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;Much of this money comes from the U.S.A., all to the detriment of other Schools, Colleges, and Institutions, and we are not going to allow this unfair situation to happen any longer.&#8221;
Steven P. Lehotsky, who argued on behalf of Harvard, said that the Trump administration&#8217;s actions violate the First Amendment and pose a threat to other private universities around the country, according to the Post. Lehotsky <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-funding-cuts-court-0e9100198461e1df52b5a5a4d11837ed">added</a> that the Trump administration is attempting to control the &#8220;inner workings&#8221; of Harvard and that funding cuts would deprive the institution of vital research funds.
Lawyers for the Trump administration argued that the federal government has the right to stop handing out federal funding to institutions that show a “deliberate indifference to antisemitism.&#8221;

Donald Trump

Trump Rips Obama-Appointed Judge After She Signals Support For Harvard During Hearing

Court

Executive

Funding

Harvard

Judge

Politics

The court battle between the Trump administration and Harvard University went before a federal judge in Boston on Monday as both parties seek a final ruling on the Ivy League school&#8217;s lawsuit over federal funding cuts.
Judge Allison D. Burroughs, who sided with Harvard in another case over the Trump administration&#8217;s attempt to block the university from enrolling foreign students, will likely signal on Monday where she stands on Harvard&#8217;s lawsuit against the Trump administration, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/21/us/trump-administration-harvard-hearing.html">reported</a>. Harvard sued the federal government in April after the Trump administration announced it would strip more than $2 billion in federal funding from the school, citing anti-Israel sentiment on the campus and its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
President Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-harvard-an-anti-semitic-threat-to-democracy?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Calls+Harvard+%E2%80%98An+Anti-Semitic%E2%80%A6Threat+To+Democracy%E2%80%99">called</a> Harvard “Anti-Semitic,” “Far-Left,” and “a threat to Democracy.”
“The place is a Liberal mess, allowing a certain group of crazed lunatics to enter and exit the classroom and spew fake ANGER AND HATE. It is truly horrific!” Trump added in April.
The federal antisemitism task force, established by the Trump Department of Justice earlier this year, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/07/21/trump-harvard-hearing/?utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">demanded</a> that Harvard submit to federal oversight and reform certain aspects of its admissions, hiring, and student discipline practices. Harvard refused to comply with the task force&#8217;s demands.
In its lawsuit, Harvard argues that the Trump administration is violating its First Amendment rights. Harvard also states that the funding freeze will harm essential scientific and medical research more than anything else.
“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,&#8221; said Harvard&#8217;s President Alan M. Garber.
The court hearing comes as President Donald Trump continues to negotiate with the university. One month ago, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-teases-mindbogglingly-historic-deal-with-harvard-they-have-acted-extremely-appropriately?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Teases+%E2%80%98Mindbogglingly+Historic%E2%80%99+Deal+With+Harvard%3A+%E2%80%98They+Have+Acted+Extremely+Appropriately%E2%80%99">teased</a> a &#8220;mindbogglingly HISTORIC&#8221; deal with Harvard that he said would be announced “over the next week or so.”
&#8220;They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right,&#8221; Trump said in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114717387393069944">June 20</a> Truth Social post.
Harvard has promised to address antisemitism on its campus, and the Trump administration said it remains &#8220;confident that Harvard will eventually come around and support the president’s vision, and through good-faith conversations and negotiations, a good deal is more than possible.” Ahead of Monday&#8217;s hearing, White House spokesman Harrison Fields told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/21/politics/harvard-trump-administration-court">CNN</a>, “The Trump Administration’s proposition is simple and commonsense: Don’t allow antisemitism and DEI to run your campus, don’t break the law, and protect the civil liberties of all students.”
As Trump pushes Harvard to make a deal, he has ramped up pressure on the school to hand over information on foreign students. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security sent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-subpoenas-harvard-over-foreign-student-misconduct-campus-radicalism?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+Subpoenas+Harvard+Over+Foreign+Student+Misconduct%2C+Campus+Radicalism">administrative subpoenas</a> to Harvard, accusing it of “repeatedly” refusing to cooperate with the Trump administration’s “non-coercive requests to hand over the required information for its Student Visitor and Exchange Program certification.”

Trump Administration Squares Off With Harvard In Court Over Federal Funding

antisemitism

Boston

Massachusetts

Trump Administration

U.S.

Harvard University is reportedly considering a new center for conservative scholarship amid criticism from the Trump administration that the school has drifted too far to the Left.
The Ivy League school has mulled starting a program for conservative scholarship for several years, but now the idea is gaining momentum, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/harvard-conservative-scholarship-center-trump-attacks-a187242a">according</a> to The Wall Street Journal.
The center could cost as much as $1 billion, and Harvard has already discussed the idea with potential donors, the Journal reported.
A Harvard spokesman said the school is ramping up work to set up such a center.
The program would “promote and support viewpoint diversity” and “will ensure exposure to the broadest ranges of perspectives on issues, and will not be partisan, but rather will model the use of evidence-based, rigorous logic and a willingness to engage with opposing views,” Harvard&#8217;s spokesman told the outlet.
If it takes shape, Harvard&#8217;s new center could potentially be modeled after Stanford’s Hoover Institution, which promotes personal liberty and limited government and is nonpartisan but widely viewed as conservative. Ronald Reagan was the Hoover Institution&#8217;s first honorary fellow.
However, the Trump administration would not necessarily view a new center purportedly for conservative thought as a significant step, the Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the administration&#8217;s perspective.
Harvard leaders&#8217; discussions about the potential center come amid a heated battle with the Trump administration over diversity, equity and inclusion practices as well as antisemitism.
In 2023, pro-Palestinian protests erupted on Harvard&#8217;s campus, sparking widespread backlash.
Harvard&#8217;s president at the time, Claudine Gay, was called to testify in front of Congress about the school&#8217;s response to antisemitism on campus. Her testimony was criticized after she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-post-says-harvards-lawyer-contacted-them-for-looking-into-plagiarism-claims">hedged</a> on saying whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated the university&#8217;s codes of conduct.
The Trump administration has pulled billions in federal funds from the school, threatened Harvard&#8217;s tax-exempt status, and moved to block the school from enrolling foreign students.
Harvard is suing, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-sues-after-trump-admin-blocks-university-from-admitting-foreign-students">claiming</a> the administration is violating its First Amendment rights and trying to &#8220;control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students.&#8221;
This week, the administration also threatened Harvard&#8217;s accreditation, accusing the school of violating federal discrimination law by failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitic harassment.
If Harvard were to lose its accreditation, it would also lose access to federal student aid, typically an existential event for universities that leads to their shuttering.
Harvard&#8217;s accreditation is handled by the New England Commission of Higher Education, which is not controlled by the government, but Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent the commission a firm letter about the issue.
&#8220;By allowing anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked on its campus, Harvard University has failed in its obligation to students, educators, and American taxpayers,&#8221; McMahon wrote.
She added that the Education Department expects the commission to keep the administration &#8220;fully informed of its efforts to ensure that Harvard is in compliance with federal law and accreditor standards.&#8221;

Students Hold ‘No Justice Walkout’ Amid Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Harvard Weighs New Conservative Center As Trump Targets School: Report

Education

Harvard University

The Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/07/09/dhs-sends-administrative-subpoenas-harvard-university">announced</a> on Wednesday that it is sending administrative subpoenas to Harvard University, forcing the Ivy League school to share &#8220;relevant information&#8221; on foreign students.
The DHS accused Harvard of &#8220;repeatedly&#8221; refusing to cooperate with the Trump administration&#8217;s &#8220;non-coercive requests to hand over the required information for its Student Visitor and Exchange Program certification.&#8221; The administration wants Harvard to hand over documents and communications related to the enforcement of immigration laws on campus, dating back to January 1, 2020, citing &#8220;allegations of disciplinary disparity involving nonimmigrant students.&#8221;
“We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard. Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Harvard, like other universities, has allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus. If Harvard won’t defend the interests of its students, then we will.”
The Trump administration has been engaged in a months-long dispute with Harvard over international students on its campus, with President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/an-unacceptable-risk-trump-signs-proclamation-to-stop-foreign-students-from-enrolling-at-harvard?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98An+Unacceptable+Risk%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+Signs+Proclamation+To+Stop+Foreign+Students+From+Enrolling+At+Harvard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moving</a> to halt the Ivy League school&#8217;s enrollment of students from foreign countries last month. During the 2024-2025 academic year, foreign students made up 27% of Harvard&#8217;s student body.
In May, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the department to terminate Harvard&#8217;s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. Noem <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/06/23/kristi-noem-harvard-foreign-students-dhs-restriction/">accused</a> Harvard of &#8220;shirking&#8221; its requirements to comply with federal oversight in order to maintain certification.
&#8220;Other universities and academic institutions that are asked to submit similar information should take note of Harvard’s actions, and the repercussions, when considering whether or not to comply with similar requests,&#8221; the DHS added in a press release issued on Wednesday.
The Trump administration also claims that Harvard allowed antisemitism and &#8220;hostile foreign influence to fester on campus.&#8221; Last month, the president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/an-unacceptable-risk-trump-signs-proclamation-to-stop-foreign-students-from-enrolling-at-harvard?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98An+Unacceptable+Risk%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+Signs+Proclamation+To+Stop+Foreign+Students+From+Enrolling+At+Harvard">said</a> that Harvard was refusing to comply with the federal government&#8217;s request to hand over data on “instances of misconduct and criminality committed by its foreign students,” calling Harvard’s refusal “an unacceptable risk.”
Along with the administration going after Harvard over its enrollment of foreign students, Trump has also stripped more than $2 billion in federal funding for the university over its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and alleged failure to confront antisemitism on campus.
Hostility between the Trump administration and Harvard appeared to cool down in recent weeks, however. In a Truth Social post on June 20, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-teases-mindbogglingly-historic-deal-with-harvard-they-have-acted-extremely-appropriately?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Teases+%E2%80%98Mindbogglingly+Historic%E2%80%99+Deal+With+Harvard%3A+%E2%80%98They+Have+Acted+Extremely+Appropriately%E2%80%99">teased</a> a &#8220;&#8216;mindbogglingly’ HISTORIC&#8221; deal with Harvard that would be announced “over the next week or so.” More than two weeks later, a deal has yet to be reached, but Trump said last Friday that he still believes the administration will &#8220;settle with Harvard.&#8221;
&#8220;They want to settle very badly,” he said, adding that the deal involves &#8220;a lot of money,&#8221; the Harvard Crimson <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/7/5/trump-says-probably-settle-harvard/">reported</a>.

Trump Admin Subpoenas Harvard Over Foreign Student Misconduct, Campus Radicalism

College

Department of Homeland Security

foreign students

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration found that Harvard&#8217;s treatment of both Jewish and Israeli students violated federal civil rights law, the administration told Harvard on Monday.
&#8220;Today, the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is notifying you that the Office for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Health and Human Services has concluded its Title VI investigation regarding anti-Semitism at Harvard University,&#8221; the Trump administration said in a letter sent to Harvard President Alan Garber on Monday.
&#8220;After a thorough investigation, HHS OCR finds that Harvard University is in violent violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin,&#8221; the letter continues.
If the university fails to &#8220;institute adequate changes immediately,&#8221; it will lose all federal financial resources, the Trump administration said. The letter adds: &#8220;Harvard may of course continue to operate free of federal privileges, and perhaps such an opportunity will spur a commitment to excellence that will help Harvard thrive once again.&#8221;
The Trump administration describes how the majority of Jewish students at Harvard reported experiencing discrimination or negative bias on campus — and a quarter of Jewish students felt physically unsafe.
&#8220;Jewish and Israeli students were assaulted and spit on; they hid their kippahs for fear of being harassed and concealed their Jewish identity from classmates for fear of ostracization,&#8221; the letter shared.
Further, antisemitic images were widely circulated throughout the Harvard community, such as one image showing a dollar sign inside a Star of David, and the &#8220;campus was vandalized with anti-Semitic stickers, including one that showed the Israeli flag with a swastika in place of the Star of David.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_941137" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-finds-harvard-discriminated-against-jewish-students-threatens-funding/trump-says-harvard-is-teaching-remedial-mathematics-is-there-any-truth-to-that" rel="attachment wp-att-941137"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-941137" class="wp-image-941137 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2218800496-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2218800496-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2218800496-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2218800496-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2218800496.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>The John Harvard statue (Photo by Heather Diehl/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;The campus was wracked by demonstrations that flagrantly violated the University&#8217;s rules of conduct,&#8221; the letter noted. &#8220;The demonstrations included calls for genocide and murder, and denied Jewish and Israeli students access to campus spaces.&#8221;
Additionally, Harvard allowed an &#8220;impermissible, multiweek encampment&#8221; in the heart of campus that &#8220;instilled fear in, and disrupted the studies of, Jewish and Israeli students.&#8221;
&#8220;Even worse,&#8221; the Trump administration letter said, &#8220;individuals who participated in the encampment received lax and inconsistent discipline — and as the discipline was reviewed by higher levels among the faculty, it was often downgraded. By the end of the process, even accounting only for the students that were charged, only a fraction received some sort of discipline, and none were suspended. A member of Harvard&#8217;s own leadership called the disciplinary process &#8216;not fair&#8217; and &#8216;not right.'&#8221;
Harvard didn&#8217;t even dispute these findings, the Trump administration said.
&#8220;These facts, while tragic for the individuals involved, are important to address for a broader, historical reason as well,&#8221; the letter stated. &#8220;As history has proven, the failure to face the reality of anti-Semitism can have catastrophic effects. The Holocaust engulfed Europe due to the &#8216;[d]isbelief, incredulity, and denial on the part of both victims and onlookers&#8217; which &#8216;worked to the advantage of those who wanted to eradicate the Jews.'&#8221;
The Trump administration described Harvard&#8217;s inaction as a clear example of the &#8220;demographic hierarchy that has taken hold of the University,&#8221; arguing that the university&#8217;s commitment to racial hierarchies &#8220;has enabled anti-Semitism to fester on Harvard&#8217;s campus and has led a once great institution to humiliation, offering remedial math and forcing Jewish students to hide their identities and ancestral stories.&#8221;
In a statement to The Daily Wire, Harvard described antisemitism as &#8220;unacceptable&#8221; and a &#8220;serious problem.&#8221;
&#8220;Harvard is far from indifferent on this issue and strongly disagrees with the government&#8217;s findings,&#8221; a spokesman said. &#8220;Harvard has made significant strides to combat bigotry, hate and bias. We are not alone in confronting this challenge and recognize that this work is ongoing. We remain committed to ensuring members of our Jewish and Israeli community are embraced, respected, and can thrive at Harvard.&#8221;

US-President-June-27-2025

Trump Admin Finds Harvard Discriminated Against Jewish Students, Threatens Funding

Jewish

White House

President Donald Trump said on Friday that a deal with Harvard University could be announced &#8220;over the next week or so&#8221; as the Trump administration and Ivy League school have been engaged in a months-long fight over diversity programs and antisemitism on Harvard&#8217;s campus.
The president praised Harvard for coming to the negotiating table to seek a solution for &#8220;their largescale improprieties.&#8221; Trump&#8217;s fight with Harvard started after he began stripping federal funding for the university over their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and their failure to crack down on antisemitism. The battle between Trump and Harvard intensified earlier this month when the president moved to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/an-unacceptable-risk-trump-signs-proclamation-to-stop-foreign-students-from-enrolling-at-harvard?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98An+Unacceptable+Risk%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+Signs+Proclamation+To+Stop+Foreign+Students+From+Enrolling+At+Harvard">stop</a> foreign students from enrolling at the university.
&#8220;Many people have been asking what is going on with Harvard University and their largescale improprieties that we have been addressing, looking for a solution,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114717387393069944">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;We have been working closely with Harvard, and it is very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so. They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right.&#8221;
&#8220;If a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be &#8216;mindbogglingly&#8217; HISTORIC, and very good for our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221; he added.
Harvard <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-sues-to-restore-taxpayer-funding-frozen-by-trump-admin">sued</a> the Trump administration for stripping over $2 billion in federal funding, and then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-sues-after-trump-admin-blocks-university-from-admitting-foreign-students">sued again</a> over the administration&#8217;s attempt to bar foreign students from attending. Shortly before Trump&#8217;s comments on Friday, a Boston-based federal judge blocked Trump from revoking Harvard&#8217;s ability to enroll foreign students, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-harvard-foreign-students-judge-ruling/#">reported</a>.
Last month, Trump suggested that Harvard cap its foreign student enrollment at 15% of the student body, which would be a drop from the nearly 30% of the student body represented by international students. He added that he wants Harvard to &#8220;show us their lists,&#8221; so that the Trump administration can &#8220;make sure that the foreign students are people that can love our country.&#8221;
&#8220;We don&#8217;t want to see shopping centers exploding. We don&#8217;t want to see the kind of riots that you had,&#8221; Trump said.
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-state-dept-measures-unveiled-how-foreign-students-will-be-screened-for-u-s-entry">reported</a> that the State Department unveiled new measures for screening foreign students on Wednesday, including searching the social media accounts of students for “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States,” “advocacy for, aid or support for foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security,” and “support for unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence.”
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the State Department said. “The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.”

Trump Teases ‘Mindbogglingly Historic’ Deal With Harvard: ‘They Have Acted Extremely Appropriately’

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

State Department

CNN&#8217;s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour said this week that she prepared for a trip to the U.S. as if she were going to North Korea.
The British-Iranian journalist, 67, said she was &#8220;afraid&#8221; to travel to the land of the free to give an address at Harvard University last month.
&#8220;I have to tell you, when I went to Harvard to give this speech, and it was just a few days ago last week, I must say, I was afraid,&#8221; Amanpour said Wednesday on her podcast “The Ex Files,” which she hosts with her ex-husband, James Rubin, a former State Department official.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨CNN hack journo Christiane Amanpour compares coming to the US to North Korea:
“I took a burner phone. Imagine that!” <a href="https://t.co/ash7S47rjG">pic.twitter.com/ash7S47rjG</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1931005279300415611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
&#8220;I&#8217;m a foreigner, I don&#8217;t have a green card, I&#8217;m not an American citizen, I&#8217;m fairly prominent, and I literally prepared to go to America as if I was going to North Korea,&#8221; she said.
Amanpour has previously reported from war zones, including during the Gulf and Bosnian wars.
&#8220;I took a burner phone, Jamie, imagine that,&#8221; Amanpour told her ex-husband during the podcast.
She said she did not take her regular cell phone or her iPad, and she had &#8220;nothing on the burner phone except a few numbers&#8221; including those for her assistant, her ex-husband, her son, and a CNN lawyer.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
&#8220;I was really afraid. I&#8217;d even talked to the CNN security person, because I&#8217;ve heard that many, including British citizens, are being stopped at the border and questioned for hours and hours and hours,&#8221; Amanpour said.
However, she admitted she encountered no such issues on her trip.
“So, huge sigh of relief I breathed, but wow, can you imagine if I’m afraid, what do others think?” she said.
Amanpour previously sparked controversy when she compared the Trump administration to Nazis in 2020.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is ⁦⁦@camanpour on⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a>⁩ comparing Trump’s tenure to Nazi Germany. How the hell is this sort of prejudice tolerated on mainstream media? 
Third rate rubbish. <a href="https://t.co/EG9eB9vQWo">pic.twitter.com/EG9eB9vQWo</a>
&mdash; Ben Habib (@benhabib6) <a href="https://twitter.com/benhabib6/status/1326965584781828096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;This week, 82 years ago, Kristallnacht happened,&#8221; she said at the beginning of her CNN show days after the 2020 presidential election. Kristallnacht or the &#8220;Night of Broken Glass&#8221; was a 1938 Nazi attack on Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues.
&#8220;It was the Nazis&#8217; warning shot across the bow of our human civilization that led to genocide against a whole identity, and in that tower of burning books, it led to an attack on fact, knowledge, history and truth,&#8221; Amanpour continued. &#8220;After four years of a modern-day assault on those same values by Donald Trump, the Biden-Harris team pledges a return to norms, including the truth.&#8221;
Jewish advocacy groups criticized Amanpour&#8217;s comments, one <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/cnn-under-fire-segment-comparing-trumps-tenure-nazi-germany-1547258" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asking</a> her to &#8220;stop using the horrors of the Holocaust to justify an agenda.&#8221;

The National Board Of Review Annual Awards Gala – Arrivals

‘As If I Was Going To North Korea’: British CNN Reporter Says She Was ‘Afraid’ To Travel To U.S.

Mainstream Media

Media

North Korea

President Donald Trump took official action on Wednesday to halt the enrollment of foreign students at Harvard University for at least six months as the ongoing battle between the Trump administration and the Ivy League school intensifies.
A <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/enhancing-national-security-by-addressing-risks-at-harvard-university/">proclamation</a> signed by the president states that &#8220;it is necessary to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University.&#8221; Trump accuses Harvard of refusing to comply with the federal government and hand over data on &#8220;instances of misconduct and criminality committed by its foreign students,&#8221; calling Harvard&#8217;s refusal &#8220;an unacceptable risk.&#8221;
&#8220;Harvard provided data on misconduct by only three students, and the data it provided was so deficient that the DHS could not evaluate whether it should take further actions,&#8221; Trump&#8217;s proclamation states. &#8220;Harvard’s actions show that it either is not fully reporting its disciplinary records for foreign students or is not seriously policing its foreign students. In my judgment, these actions and failures directly undermine the Federal Government’s ability to ensure that foreign nationals admitted on student or exchange visitor visas remain in compliance with Federal law.&#8221;
&#8220;These concerns have compelled the Federal Government to conclude that Harvard University is no longer a trustworthy steward of international student and exchange visitor programs,&#8221; the proclamation continues.
Trump&#8217;s proclamation comes two weeks after the Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-latest-barb-in-war-with-harvard-no-more-foreign-students">notified</a> Harvard that its participation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program had been revoked. Days later, Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-freezes-all-new-student-visa-interviews-in-major-blow-to-elite-universities?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+Freezes+All+New+Student+Visa+Interviews+In+Major+Blow+To+Elite+Universities">directed</a> U.S. embassies to freeze exchange student visa appointments for all applicants. Last week, however, Harvard won its initial court fight against the Trump administration over the issue when a district court judge blocked Trump from stopping the enrollment of foreign students at Harvard. Foreign students account for around 25% of those enrolled at the Ivy League school, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/us/harvard-international-students-trumps.html">The New York Times</a>.
The president&#8217;s latest action <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB10458#:~:text=%2D%20Version:%201)-,Presidential%20Authority%20to%20Suspend%20Entry%20of%20Aliens%20Under%208%20U.S.C.,garnered%20recent%20attention%20by%20lawmakers.">cites</a> presidential authority &#8220;to suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens&#8221; if he &#8220;finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.&#8221; Trump&#8217;s proclamation suspends Harvard&#8217;s Student Exchange Visa Program and directs the Secretary of State to look into whether foreign nationals currently enrolled at Harvard &#8220;should have their visas revoked.&#8221; The suspension of foreign student enrollment will expire after six months, but it could be extended longer, according to Trump&#8217;s proclamation.
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A Harvard spokesman called Trump&#8217;s move &#8220;yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights,” The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/trump-issues-proclamation-suspending-foreign-students-at-harvard-e62859c4?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAiQoY-OCtVXiiHaOxk1uU5fhG7cTjEE1ZZy9tNRfl1q75g92TuZBLlqdpPT77s%3D&amp;gaa_ts=684185d3&amp;gaa_sig=85XWG5MHmMBf-FUEErAnlUKIPXQhPTyKzxAiBgjOucFQHqZKNLEXREHDORFE5H21alye_fnQ5QbHz9Jn8ZWfOA%3D%3D">reported</a>.
“Harvard will continue to protect its international students,” the spokesman added.
In his proclamation, Trump specifically calls out China for attempting &#8220;to take advantage of American higher education by exploiting the student visa program for improper purposes and by using visiting students to collect information at elite universities in the United States.&#8221; In the past five years, Harvard has received more than $150 million from foreign governments, with most of that funding coming from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, according to <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/2/28/foreign-funding-donations/">The Harvard Crimson</a>. &#8220;Sources from China&#8221; have also <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/4/6/foreign-donations-2022/">contributed</a> tens of millions of dollars to Harvard in recent years.
The president&#8217;s latest moves intensify his administration&#8217;s battle with Harvard, a school he has called &#8220;Anti-Semitic,” “Far-Left,” and “a threat to Democracy.” The fight began over the university&#8217;s failure to crack down on anti-Semitism on campus and its promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the Trump administration has now <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-loses-another-massive-chunk-of-federal-funding?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Harvard+Loses+Another+Massive+Chunk+Of+Federal+Funding">stripped</a> more than $2 billion in federal funding for Harvard, sparking a major legal battle.

‘An Unacceptable Risk’: Trump Signs Proclamation To Stop Foreign Students From Enrolling At Harvard

China

Amid Harvard’s clash with the Trump administration over fostering an antisemitic environment, the university&#8217;s John F. Kennedy School of Government tapped a CNN anchor critical of Israel and President Donald Trump to deliver its 2025 graduation address.
Christiane Amanpour delivered the address to the student body the day before the commencement ceremony, in which she hailed academics as fighting &#8220;on the front lines of the current struggle between the two halves of America.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN&#39;s Christiane Amanpour, known for anti-Israel &amp; anti-Trump controversies, delivered Harvard Kennedy School’s grad address, calling education &quot;on the front lines between the two halves of America&quot; and saying that Europe welcomes &quot;those who are having their roles taken away.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uo2qQ7ZOT0">pic.twitter.com/uo2qQ7ZOT0</a>
&mdash; Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1927817137000722708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The speech comes as the Trump administration and Harvard continue to face off over <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-cuts-ties-with-hamas-friendly-birzeit-university">campus antisemitism</a> and the school&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-other-countries-pay-nothing-for-foreign-students-to-attend-harvard?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+Other+Countries+%E2%80%98Pay+NOTHING%E2%80%99+For+Foreign+Students+To+Attend+Harvard">ability to admit</a> new foreign students. This week, the Trump administration announced that Harvard would lose close to all of its federal funding.
During the speech, Amanpour said that “we cannot surrender to any system that deems only power-approved speech or thought is allowed.”
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She added that “this is not the first time the press, the fourth estate, has come under such sustained threat from the executive branch,” citing the Nixon administration challenging TV licenses held by The Washington Post following Watergate.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Harvard Kennedy School graduation speaker and CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour:
&#8220;We cannot surrender to any system that deems only power-approved speech or thought is allowed.” <a href="https://t.co/qXl8gx4XgA">pic.twitter.com/qXl8gx4XgA</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1927824825134834117?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
Amanpour said Europe was willing to take in “those who are having their roles taken away,” a likely reference to either foreign students being stopped from attending Harvard or researchers that may lose their positions following a cut to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-loses-another-massive-chunk-of-federal-funding?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Harvard+Loses+Another+Massive+Chunk+Of+Federal+Funding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal funding</a> to the private university.
“As you know, we over there in Europe are happy to lay out the welcome mat to all of those here who are having their roles taken away,” she said. “ We want your scientists, your researchers, your professionals.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graduation-speaker-returns-honorary-degree-after-plagiarizing-speech-elite-womens-college?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Graduation+Speaker+Returns+Honorary+Degree+After+Plagiarizing+Speech+At+Elite+Women%E2%80%99s+College" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GRADUATION SPEAKER RETURNS HONORARY DEGREE AFTER PLAGIARIZING SPEECH AT ELITE WOMEN’S COLLEGE</a>
She added that the diversity, smarts, energy, and determination of foreign students are needed.
Amanpour also took a shot at Trump’s program to resettle Afrikaner refugees from South Africa in the United States, stating that she thinks about the legacy of Nelson Mandela when she sees &#8220;Afrikaner minorities, who were the perpetrators of apartheid, being brought into this country as refugees.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
During her speech at Harvard, Christiane Amanpour took a shot at Trump&#8217;s Afrikaner program, stating that she thinks about the legacy of Nelson Mandela when she sees &#8220;Afrikaner minorities, who were the perpetrators of apartheid, being brought into this country as refugees.” <a href="https://t.co/29IXoy5Ao7">pic.twitter.com/29IXoy5Ao7</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1927822153895821637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
Amanpour has a long history of anti-Trump controversies, including in November 2020 when she compared the Trump presidency to to the Nazi Kristallnacht pogrom of 1938. Amanpour <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-regret-any-pain-christiane-amanpour-apologizes-for-comparing-trump-era-to-kristallnacht?author=Jon+Brown&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98I+Regret+Any+Pain%E2%80%99%3A+Christiane+Amanpour+Apologizes+For+Comparing+Trump+Era+To+Kristallnacht" target="_blank" rel="noopener">later apologized</a> following public outcry and condemnation from former Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Omer Yankelevich.
In 2016, Amanpour said <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/5M-805aTBIc">she was “shocked”</a> that Americans who voted for Trump ignored “the vulgarity of language, the sexual predatory behavior, the deep misogyny, the bigoted and insulting views.” In 2023, she <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/18/christiane-amanpour-columbia-cnn-town-hall-00097644?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confronted former</a> CNN CEO Chris Licht for hosting Trump for a townhall on the network, POLITICO reported.
Amanpour also challenged CNN&#8217;s leaders in 2024 over Israeli influence over the network&#8217;s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war that kicked off when the terror group massacred more than 1,000 Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, Business Insider reported. CNN has faced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-blasted-for-report-on-israel-rearranging-weaponry-at-al-shifa-prior-to-news-crew-visits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">severe criticism</a> for its anti-Israel coverage since the war began.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeland-security-to-screen-immigrants-and-foreign-students-social-media-for-anti-semitism?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=29&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Homeland+Security+To+Screen+Immigrants+And+Foreign+Students%E2%80%99+Social+Media+For+Anti-Semitism">HOMELAND SECURITY TO SCREEN IMMIGRANTS AND FOREIGN STUDENTS’ SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ANTI-SEMITISM</a>
Between October 7, 2023, and November 17, 2023, Israel was accused of “genocide” or being “genocidal” 13 times on “Amanpour,” with Hamas only being accused of similar atrocities 3 times, <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/clay-waters/2023/11/22/ugly-tilt-pbss-amanpour-show-only-sees-genocide-israel-not?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Newsbusters</a>. 
In May 2023, Amanpour faced backlash after referring to a terrorist attack that killed a mother and her two daughters as a “shootout” during an interview with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh. The victims — Lucy, Maia, and Rina Dee were shot by Hamas-linked terrorists while driving on a highway. Amanpour later apologized, saying she had “misspoke.” Rabbi Leo Dee, the husband and father of the victims, said he did not accept her apology, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/cnn-anchor-amanpour-apologizes-for-calling-terror-attack-on-dee-family-a-shootout/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">The Times of Israel </a><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/cnn-anchor-amanpour-apologizes-for-calling-terror-attack-on-dee-family-a-shootout/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
A 2007 documentary by Amanpour titled “God’s Jewish Warriors&#8221; <a href="https://www.jewishpost.com/viewpoints/cnn-and-christiane-amanpour-defame-israel.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faced criticism</a> from the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America for &#8220;equating the extremely rare cases of religiously-inspired violence on the part of Christians and Jews with radical Islam&#8217;s global, often state-supported, campaigns of mass killing.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-cuts-ties-with-hamas-friendly-birzeit-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HARVARD CUTS TIES WITH HAMAS-FRIENDLY BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY</a>
Amanpour has had a four-decade career in television journalism, beginning at CNN in 1983. She has reported on international conflicts throughout her career and currently hosts “Amanpour,” CNN’s flagship global affairs interview program, and “The Amanpour Hour.”
“Anyone who follows world news recognizes her signature determination to cut through the noise and help her viewers better understand complex global events,” <a href="https://www.hks.harvard.edu/announcements/christiane-amanpour-will-deliver-2025-hks-graduation-address?utm_medium=socialmedia&amp;utm_source=hkstwitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said Kennedy School Dean</a> Jeremy Weinstein. “At this time of change and uncertainty, she is the perfect person to address the next generation of public servants as they graduate from Harvard Kennedy School.”
Amanpour, who was born in London to an Iranian father and British mother, was raised in Tehran before moving to the United States following the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Christiane Amanpour

Harvard Hosts Anti-Trump, Anti-Israel CNN News Anchor As Grad Speaker

harvard kennedy school

Israel

The Trump administration is blocking all new student visa interviews in preparation for upcoming social media vetting requirements for all international students.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a cable on Tuesday directing U.S. embassies to &#8220;not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued &#8230; which we anticipate in the coming days,&#8221; according to a document POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/27/trump-team-orders-stop-to-new-student-visa-interviews-as-it-weighs-expanding-social-media-vetting-00370501" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obtained</a>.
The pause affects all applicants for student visas while the administration reportedly prepares guidance for expanded social media vetting requirements.
This represents yet another blow to the finances of dozens of elite universities from the Trump administration, which has cut billions in federal grants for Ivy League institutions such as Harvard and Yale, in addition to threatening their tax-exempt status over free speech violations and DEI initiatives.
The more than 1 million international students in the United States represent a significant revenue source for many American higher education institutions, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/05/25/international-students-harvard-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">constituting</a> nearly 30% of Harvard’s student body.
Several prestigious institutions have faced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-apologizes-for-inaction-after-students-antisemitic-abuser-pleads-guilty?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=46&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=University+Apologizes+For+Inaction+After+Student%E2%80%99s+Antisemitic+Abuser+Pleads+Guilty">accusations</a> of tolerating antisemitism and allowing foreign influence to spread unchecked on their campuses, issues that gained heightened attention after Hamas&#8217; October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and subsequent campus protests.
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This directive broadens the scope of the administration&#8217;s previous social media vetting, which had primarily focused on students returning to the U.S. after potentially participating in pro-Hamas protests.
The Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeland-security-to-screen-immigrants-and-foreign-students-social-media-for-anti-semitism?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=43&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Homeland+Security+To+Screen+Immigrants+And+Foreign+Students%E2%80%99+Social+Media+For+Anti-Semitism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in early April that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would begin screening foreign students&#8217; social media for antisemitic content and any history of physically harassing Jews.
In the screening process, USCIS is considering any social media content that “indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative factor in any USCIS discretionary analysis when adjudicating immigration benefit requests.”
The Tuesday cable references executive orders aimed at keeping terrorists out of the country and combating antisemitism, though it doesn&#8217;t explicitly detail what the future vetting would screen for.
The State Department has not provided additional details about when the expanded vetting requirements will be implemented or how long the pause on new visa appointments might last, at the time of writing.
The Trump administration has consistently prioritized national security concerns in its immigration policies, with particular focus on identifying potential threats before they enter the country and addressing what it views as ideological bias in academic institutions.
“I think it’s crazy to invite students into your country that are coming onto your campus and destabilizing it,” Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeland-security-to-screen-immigrants-and-foreign-students-social-media-for-anti-semitism">said</a> in April. “Every country in the world has a right to decide who comes in as a visitor and who doesn’t.&#8221;

Supreme Court Rules Affirmative Action Is Unconstitutional In Landmark Case With Harvard And UNC

Trump Admin Freezes All New Student Visa Interviews In Major Blow To Elite Universities

American Universities

Anti-Semitism

Free Speech

Hamas

Visa

President Donald Trump lashed out at Harvard University on Sunday, ripping the elite institution for refusing to identify its foreign students while they benefit from taxpayer funding.
The Department of Homeland Security last week blocked Harvard from accepting any new foreign students as the administration and school tussle over antisemitism on campus. The university responded with a lawsuit.
“Why isn’t Harvard saying that almost 31% of their students are from FOREIGN LANDS, and yet those countries, some not at all friendly to the United States, pay NOTHING toward their student’s education, nor do they ever intend to. Nobody told us that!” Trump posted on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114566671392866950" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Truth Social</a>.
“We want to know who those foreign students are, a reasonable request since we give Harvard BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, but Harvard isn’t exactly forthcoming. We want those names and countries. Harvard has $52,000,000, use it, and stop asking for the Federal Government to continue GRANTING money to you!” he added.
Harvard <a href="https://oneworld.worldwide.harvard.edu/international-students-at-harvard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enrolls</a> about 6,800 foreign students, which make up over 27% of its student body, according to 2024-2025 data from the university.
Harvard <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-sues-after-trump-admin-blocks-university-from-admitting-foreign-students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> the federal government over the freeze on foreign students on Friday, accusing the Trump administration of committing a “blatant violation of the First Amendment, the Due Process Clause, and the Administrative Procedure Act.”
“It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students,” the lawsuit says.
After weeks of threats from the Trump administration, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent a letter to Harvard on Thursday notifying the university that it had been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-latest-barb-in-war-with-harvard-no-more-foreign-students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stripped</a> of its certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. The secretary said the university was in violation of reporting requirements after it refused a Trump administration request for information on students on visas who committed “illegal activity” or “dangerous or violent activity.”
“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” said Noem.
“Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law,” she added.

Trump Says Other Countries ‘Pay NOTHING’ For Foreign Students To Attend Harvard

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it is stripping an additional $450 million in federal grants from Harvard University after $2 billion in federal funding had already been frozen.
The &#8220;Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism&#8221; said the additional freeze comes after the Ivy League school &#8220;repeatedly failed to confront the pervasive race discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment plaguing its campus.&#8221; The new cuts are to grants handed out through eight different federal agencies.
&#8220;Harvard’s campus, once a symbol of academic prestige, has become a breeding ground for virtue signaling and discrimination. This is not leadership; it is cowardice,&#8221; the task force wrote in a <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/anti-semitism-task-force-statement-on-additional-harvard-grants.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> announcing the additional cuts. &#8220;And it’s not academic freedom; it’s institutional disenfranchisement. There is a dark problem on Harvard’s campus, and by prioritizing appeasement over accountability, institutional leaders have forfeited the school&#8217;s claim to taxpayer support.&#8221;
The task force added that Harvard, which was founded in 1636 to train clergymen, &#8220;faces a steep, uphill battle to reclaim its legacy as a lawful institution and center of academic excellence.&#8221;
Harvard is in the middle of a legal challenge to the Trump administration&#8217;s funding freeze. The president has gone after the university for allowing anti-Israel protests and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on its campus. Last month, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-harvard-an-anti-semitic-threat-to-democracy?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Calls+Harvard+%E2%80%98An+Anti-Semitic%E2%80%A6Threat+To+Democracy%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> Harvard “Anti-Semitic,” “Far-Left,” and “a threat to Democracy.”
&#8220;The place is a Liberal mess, allowing a certain group of crazed lunatics to enter and exit the classroom and spew fake ANGER AND HATE. It is truly horrific!&#8221; Trump said.
Harvard has pushed back against the funding freeze and the Trump administration&#8217;s demands for more oversight over the university. Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in April, arguing that the federal government is executing “a pressure campaign” that “violates Harvard’s constitutional rights.” The school&#8217;s president, Alan M. Garber, shot back at the Trump administration, writing, “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.”
As Harvard continued to fight Trump&#8217;s demands, it <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-renames-dei-office-amid-funding-battle-with-trump-admin?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Harvard+Renames+DEI+Office+Amid+Funding+Battle+With+Trump+Admin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last month that it was rebranding the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, changing the name to “Community and Campus Life” and focusing on “expanding cross-cultural engagement programs, supporting first-generation and low-income students, and creating more opportunities for dialogue across differences.” Harvard’s chief diversity officer position was also renamed and will now be called the Chief Community and Campus Life Officer, according to <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/29/harvard-oedib-renamed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Harvard Crimson</a>. The DEI office rebrand was the first step that appeared to align with Trump&#8217;s demands.

Harvard Loses Another Massive Chunk Of Federal Funding

Ivy League

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