Trump Demands $1 Billion from Harvard Amid Intensifying Standoff/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump has escalated his feud with Harvard University, now demanding a $1 billion payment to settle a prolonged conflict. The administration accuses Harvard of tolerating antisemitism and defying government directives. Negotiations appear to have collapsed as Trump disavows prior compromise proposals.
Trump-Harvard Showdown Quick Looks
- Trump raises demand to $1 billion from Harvard, doubling previous ask.
- Insists payment must go directly to the federal government — not trade schools.
- Harvard hasn’t responded; previous deal for $500M in trade schools fell apart.
- White House accuses Harvard of fostering antisemitic bias on campus.
- Trump rejects claims he backed down after NYT report on settlement talks.
- Federal judge earlier reversed Harvard’s research funding cuts.
- Harvard is suing, calling the administration’s actions political retaliation.
- Trump administration had proposed a “compact” with universities — none joined.
- Columbia and Brown previously settled similar disputes with large payments.
- Tensions mark broader Trump campaign against elite universities in second term.
Deep Look: Trump Demands $1 Billion from Harvard as Tensions Escalate
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has reignited his battle with Harvard University, demanding a $1 billion payment from the Ivy League institution to end a bitter, months-long standoff over allegations of antisemitism and broader disputes about university governance and federal compliance.
The demand, shared in a late-night post on Truth Social Monday, comes amid reports that Trump had eased his position. But the president denied backing down, instead doubling the amount he once sought in a proposed settlement last year.
“Harvard has been behaving very badly,” Trump wrote, emphasizing that no future cooperation with the university is expected from his administration and that any settlement must include a direct payment to the federal government — a sticking point Harvard has refused to entertain.
Deal Breakdown and Rising Friction
Back in June 2025, Trump had publicly claimed that a resolution was close, praising Harvard’s negotiation efforts. At the time, a compromise was floated: $500 million for a series of trade schools, rather than a lump sum paid to the government.
That plan has now collapsed. Trump called the trade school proposal “convoluted” and “wholly inadequate,” making it clear that he no longer supports any alternative to a direct financial settlement.
Harvard has not yet commented on the president’s latest remarks.
Harvard as a Central Target
Harvard has become the symbolic centerpiece of Trump’s broader campaign against elite institutions in his second term. The administration accuses the university of allowing antisemitic behavior on campus and resisting government pressure to implement certain policies.
The White House responded by cutting billions in federal research funding, attempting to restrict the university’s enrollment of foreign students, and launching multiple public and legal offensives.
Harvard filed lawsuits in return, claiming the administration’s actions amount to political retribution for not aligning with Trump’s agenda. A federal judge sided with Harvard in December, overturning the research funding freeze and dismissing the antisemitism claims as a “smokescreen.”
A Broader Offensive on Higher Ed
Harvard isn’t the only target. Trump’s White House has sought to reshape U.S. higher education through a campaign focused on combating liberal ideology, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies, and alleged anti-Jewish sentiments on college campuses.
In the fall of 2025, the administration invited nine top universities to join a “compact” that promised funding priority in exchange for adopting the administration’s reforms. Not one institution agreed.
In January 2026, the White House quietly dropped legal backing for an Education Department document threatening to withdraw funds over DEI initiatives.
Still, some universities have opted to settle disputes in order to restore federal research funding. Among them:
- Columbia University agreed to pay $200 million directly to the federal government.
- Brown University reached a $50 million settlement earmarked for state workforce development programs.
Trump now appears to be pressuring Harvard into a similar arrangement — though at double the price and with no strings attached.
High Stakes, No End in Sight
The renewed demands signal that Trump’s standoff with Harvard is far from over. With both sides dug in and previous compromise attempts discarded, the feud may stretch further into 2026, particularly as Trump uses elite institutions as a political foil in his broader messaging.
Whether Harvard will engage in further negotiations or take additional legal action remains to be seen. But the president’s new $1 billion ask ensures the high-profile clash between the Ivy League and the White House remains front and center.
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