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By Sonam Sheth
Evening Politics Editor
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Harvard University's president hit back at President Donald Trump on Friday after Trump announced that he would revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status.
Why It Matters
Harvard has been in a drawn-out battle with the Trump administration over its refusal to comply with the president's demands to clamp down on student activism on campus and protests related to Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
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Trump's latest threat to the school comes after Harvard filed a federal lawsuit last month alleging that the administration violated the Ivy League university's constitutional rights by freezing more than $2 billion in federal grants and funding.
What To Know
Harvard President Alan Garber told The Wall Street Journal that Trump's decision to revoke the school's tax-exempt status is "highly illegal, unless there is some reasoning that we have not been exposed to that would justify this dramatic move."
"Tax-exempt status is granted to educational institutions to enable them to successfully carry out their mission of education, and for research universities, of research," Garber said.
He continued: "Obviously, that would be severely impaired if we were to lose our tax-exempt status. And I should add, it would be destructive to Harvard, but the message that it sends to the educational community would be a very dire one, which suggests that political disagreements could be used as a basis to pose what might be called an existential threat to so many educational institutions."
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email.
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Harvard is one of several Ivy League institutions the Trump administration has threatened over campus activism and what the White House characterizes as antisemitism on the part of student protesters.
Columbia University found itself in the president's crosshairs earlier this year over an encampment that demonstrators put up in April 2024 to protest the Israeli government's military actions in Gaza.
The university made some concessions after the president threatened to freeze more than $400 million in funds. The Trump administration has also sought to revoke the visas of other student demonstrators, including at least two Columbia students: Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi.
Khalil has been in detention in Louisiana since last month. Mahdawi was detained on April 14 after arriving at an immigration appointment that he believed was a U.S. citizenship interview. A judge released Mahdawi from custody on Thursday, comparing the current political climate to McCarthyism.
"This is not the first time that the nation has seen chilling action by the government intended to shut down debate," Vermont Judge Geoffrey Crawford said.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday: "We are going to be taking away Harvard's Tax Exempt Status. It's what they deserve!"
Jason Newton, a spokesperson for Harvard, said: "The government has long exempted universities from taxes in order to support their educational mission. The tax exemption means that more of every dollar can go toward scholarships for students, lifesaving and life-enhancing medical research, and technological advancements that drive economic growth. There is no legal basis to rescind Harvard's tax-exempt status."
Newton added: "Such an unprecedented action would endanger our ability to carry out our educational mission. It would result in diminished financial aid for students, abandonment of critical medical research programs, and lost opportunities for innovation. The unlawful use of this instrument more broadly would have grave consequences for the future of higher education in America."
What Happens Next
Harvard will likely challenge the Trump administration's decision to revoke its tax-exempt status in the courts.
Update 5/2/25 9:46 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.
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