President Donald Trump has announced his administration is revoking Harvard University’s tax-exempt status, calling the move a long-overdue response to what he described as the school’s “failure of leadership, blatant left-wing bias, and refusal to confront antisemitism on campus.”
The decision follows a series of escalating measures aimed at the Ivy League institution, including the freezing of more than $2 billion in federal funding. The administration cited Harvard’s disregard for directives on institutional governance, its implementation of radical diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, and its refusal to crack down on growing anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric among faculty and students.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said, “Harvard has taken billions from the American taxpayer while turning its campus into a haven for radicalism and hate. They’ve abused their status for long enough. We’re pulling it. It’s what they deserve.”
The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to hold elite universities accountable for what it calls ideological corruption and misuse of public privilege. Officials involved in the decision said Harvard’s actions no longer align with the mission of an institution deserving federal benefits and tax breaks. In the administration’s view, the university operates more like a political activist organization than an educational institution.
Harvard has responded by initiating legal action, accusing the administration of retaliating against the school’s political positions and claiming that the move violates constitutional protections. Critics from the left have argued that revoking tax-exempt status could chill free expression on campus. But Trump officials pushed back, saying universities cannot use the First Amendment as a shield while collecting taxpayer money and promoting anti-American agendas.
Legal experts note that while the IRS, not the White House, traditionally oversees nonprofit tax status, the administration has significant leverage through funding mechanisms, oversight boards, and regulatory authority to challenge institutions that violate the spirit of their tax-exempt purpose.
This latest salvo against Harvard is part of a larger campaign targeting ideological capture in higher education. The Trump administration has launched investigations into universities across the country accused of ignoring antisemitism, enforcing discriminatory DEI programs, and using public money to promote political indoctrination.
Trump has made clear this is just the beginning. “We will not allow taxpayer-funded institutions to indoctrinate our youth or side with those who hate our country,” he said. “The days of universities being untouchable are over.”