Trump calls Harvard a ‘liberal mess’ in fresh attack on university
The US president is seeking unprecedented levels of government control over the inner workings of the prestigious school
US President Donald Trump on Thursday bashed Harvard as an “antisemitic, far-left institution,” as the prestigious university battles his administration’s funding freeze in court.
The latest outburst from Trump comes as his administration cracks down on US universities on several fronts, alleging widespread antisemitism, anti-white bias, and the promotion of “gender ideology” by protecting trans students.
The administration has threatened several top-tier universities with funding freezes and other punishments, prompting concerns over declining academic freedom.
It has also moved to revoke visas and deport foreign students involved in the protests, accusing them of supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel provoked the war.
Harvard, which has seen billions in federal funding frozen after it rejected wide-ranging government oversight, filed suit against the Trump administration on Monday.
“The place is a liberal mess,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, also complaining that the university has admitted students “from all over the world that want to rip our country apart”.