Amid the Harvard University and Trump administration row, US President Donald Trump mentioned areas of concern he holds with the University on Sunday (local time).
While speaking to media, Trump said, “Part of the problem with Harvard is that there are about 31 per cent of foreigners coming to Harvard. We give them billions of dollars, which is ridiculous. We do grants, which we’re probably not going to be doing much grants anymore to Harvard. But they are 31 per cent, but they refuse to tell us who the people are. We want to know who the people.”
In his remarks, he noted that the density of foreign students enrolled at Harvard University is high due to which Americans who want to study at the institution are not able to do so.
He said, “Now, a lot of the foreign students we wouldn’t have a problem with, but it shouldn’t be 31 percent. It’s too much because we have Americans that want to go there and to other places, and they can’t go there because you have 31 percent foreign. Now, no foreign government contributes money to Harvard, we do. So why are they doing so many?”
Listing down the second concern with Harvard University, Trump said, “Number two- we want a list of those foreign students, and we’ll find out whether or not they’re okay. Many will be okay, I assume. And I assume with Harvard, many will be bad.”
The third concern mentioned by the US President was the issue of anti-semitism.
He noted, “Then the other thing is they’re very anti-Semitic. Everybody knows they’re anti-Semitic. And that’s got to stop immediately.”
Harvard and the Trump administration have been engaged in a conflict for months as the administration demands the university make changes to the programming of the institution, hiring and administration to remove on-campus antisemitism and remove what it termed “racist ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ practices.” The administration has targeted foreign students and employees, whom it believes were part of the contentious campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
According to CNN, a federal judge had temporarily halted the Trump administration’s ban on Friday, after Harvard University filed a suit in federal court.
As per CNN, Harvard argued revocation of its certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program was “clear retaliation” for its refusal of the government’s ideologically rooted policy demands.
On Saturday, speaking about his administration’s decision to bar Harvard University from enrolling international students, Trump had said, “Billions of dollars have been paid to Harvard. How ridiculous is that?… And they have USD 52 billion as an endowment… Harvard’s going to have to change its ways.”
On Thursday, the White House said, “Enrolling foreign students is a privilege, not a right.” It accused Harvard leadership of turning “their once-great institution into a hot-bed of anti-American, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist agitators.”
