President Donald Trump is insisting that Harvard University pay a significant financial penalty for what he described as its “very bad” conduct.
During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump directly addressed Education Secretary Linda McMahon and made his position clear. “We want nothing less than $500 million from Harvard. Don’t negotiate, Linda. They’ve been very bad,” Trump stated.
Earlier reports indicated that Harvard and the Trump administration were nearing an agreement on a groundbreaking settlement. The proposal would require Harvard to provide $500 million while, in return, the government would restore billions of dollars in federal funding previously withheld.
According to sources who spoke with The New York Times, Harvard’s contribution would be allocated toward vocational programs, educational initiatives, and research. The university has reportedly requested that the payment not be made directly to the federal government. In exchange, the administration would reinstate Harvard’s research funding and drop its demand for a federal monitor — a key condition Harvard emphasized to maintain its academic independence.
Part of the settlement would also require Harvard to continue strengthening its policies and efforts aimed at combating antisemitism on campus.
Additionally, the deal would bring an end to the government’s growing list of investigations into the university. It would also lift restrictions that had prevented Harvard from admitting international students, according to the Times.
The structure of the settlement is expected to share similarities with Brown University’s recent agreement with the White House, finalized last month. Under that arrangement, Brown committed to paying $50 million over a ten-year period.
The White House is also reportedly seeking a clause requiring Harvard to provide the government with extensive admissions data, including detailed information on applicants’ race, gender, GPAs, and standardized test scores, the Times reported.
{Matzav.com}
