Trump Escalates Harvard Fight With $1 Billion Damages Demand

Overview

• Posting on Truth Social, the president called Harvard “strongly antisemitic” and said he no longer wants dealings with the university.
• He urged that the matter be handled as a criminal case rather than a civil dispute, without detailing specific charges.
• The move followed Times reporting that the White House had eased a $200 million demand in negotiations, a claim Trump rejected as false.
• The confrontation has featured freezes of roughly $2.2 billion in grants, canceled authorization for international student admissions, and court rulings that blocked parts of the administration’s actions.
• Talks have swung widely, with Trump previously citing a potential $500 million resolution and reports that Harvard had considered up to that amount, while Columbia separately agreed last year to a $200 million settlement.