President Donald Trump may strip Harvard University of its tax-exempt status because of antisemitism on campus, which he considers a systemic illness.

‘Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a political entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?” Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday morning.

‘Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the public interest!’ the president’s message continued. 

Since October 7, 2023, college campuses nationwide have erupted with protests over the Israel-Hamas war. Some demonstrations have turned violent, and others resulted in full-fledged occupations with students camping out for weeks on lawns and in halls.

Harvard, like many elite universities, has been a hotbed for these protests. 

Trump’s new threat to take away the 388-year-old school’s tax status could result in Harvard having to pay out cash to the federal government.

Though almost all U.S. universities are tax-exempt organizations, universities who become overtly political can lose this status, according to the IRS. 

The new threat comes a day after Harvard rejected a Trump administration proposal to reform the university in exchange for restoring billions in frozen federal funds.

Press Sec. Karoline Leavitt said during a White House press briefing Tuesday that Harvard has been complicit with ‘illegal’ antisemitic harassment on its campus.

She said because it has not complied with demands from the Trump administration additional consequences are on the horizon. 

Trump floated the idea The Trump administration froze billions of dollars in federal funding meant for Harvard University on Monday

Trump floated the idea The Trump administration froze billions of dollars in federal funding meant for Harvard University on Monday 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that Trump is

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that Trump is 

‘Unfortunately, Harvard has not taken the president or the administration’s demands seriously,’ Leavitt, 27, said. ‘All the President is asking, don’t break federal law, and then you can have your federal funding.’

‘Jewish American students, or students of any faith, should not be illegally harassed and targeted on our nation’s college campuses,’ Leavitt said. 

‘We unfortunately saw that illegal discrimination take place on the campus of Harvard, there are countless examples to prove it.’

The press secretary also noted how former Harvard President Claudine Gay testified before Congress last year that bullying and harassment depends on the context. 

Gay resigned just weeks after those statements to Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who was briefly nominated to be Trump’s ambassador to the U.N.

Trump, who signed an order setting up an antisemitism task force earlier this year, froze over $2.2 billion in federal grants and around $60 million in contracts to the Ivy League institution on Monday.

According to a letter sent from the administration to the university on Friday, the school could stand to lose out on around $9 billion in grants and contracts should they not conform.

But the Harvard president hit back at the White House in a letter Monday. 

Harvard President Alan Garber (pictured) announced on Monday that Harvard would not be complying with the government's proposed agreement through a response letter to the community, claiming that the demands violate the university's First Amendment rights

Harvard President Alan Garber (pictured) announced on Monday that Harvard would not be complying with the government’s proposed agreement through a response letter to the community, claiming that the demands violate the university’s First Amendment rights

‘The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,’ Harvard President Alan Garber wrote.

‘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.’

Talking about the White House row with the Massachusetts’s school Leavitt also brought up how the university boasts an endowment of over $50 billion. 

She said: ‘Why are the American taxpayers subsidizing a university that has billions of dollars in the bank already?’ 

‘We certainly should not be funding a place where such grave antisemitism exists.’ 

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