President Donald Trump declared his intention to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status, a move that would subject the institution to taxes on its considerable revenue, Bloomberg reports.
The announcement, made via social media early Friday morning, follows weeks of Trump hinting at an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) review of the Ivy League school’s tax-free designations.
“We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!” Trump posted.
The threat comes amid growing conservative scrutiny of Harvard and other elite universities, fueled by accusations of ideological bias, perceived anti-Semitism related to campus protests against the war in Gaza, and the promotion of liberal agendas and “wokeness.”
Trump has been vocal in his criticism of the institution, stating during a commencement address at the University of Alabama on Thursday:
“The next chapter of the American story will not be written by the Harvard Crimson… It will be written by you, the Crimson Tide.”
While the IRS code is designed to prevent presidential interference in tax agency decisions, the IRS Commissioner reports to the Treasury Secretary, raising questions about the source of Trump’s announcement. It remains unclear whether the decision stems from Trump’s influence or the independent judgment of the IRS.
Tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard have escalated recently, particularly after the university rejected demands to reform campus policies. Harvard argued that the proposed reforms went beyond combating anti-Semitism and threatened the school’s independence. In response, the administration reportedly froze billions of dollars in funding supporting projects, including research on ALS and tuberculosis. Harvard has subsequently filed lawsuits against several US agencies and top officials.
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