Trump Initiates $1 Billion Lawsuit Against Harvard Amid Ongoing Conflict

Wed Feb 04 2026 04:00:49 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Donald Trump announces plans to sue Harvard University for $1 billion, escalating the tensions between his administration and the institution over allegations of antisemitism and funding disputes.

In a recent development, Donald Trump declared his intention to seek $1 billion in damages from Harvard University. This announcement follows a string of accusations from his administration regarding the university's handling of antisemitism amid pro-Palestinian protests. The ongoing conflict includes previous threats to revoke funding and tax-exempt status for Harvard. Trump's harsh rhetoric marks another chapter in his administration's campaign against what it perceives as 'woke' ideologies in higher education.

Trump Initiates $1 Billion Lawsuit Against Harvard Amid Ongoing Conflict

In an unprecedented legal move, former President Donald Trump has announced a lawsuit seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University. This development further intensifies the heated dispute between Trump’s administration and the prestigious institution, particularly surrounding accusations of insufficient action against antisemitism during recent pro-Palestinian protests.

The announcement made on Monday follows a prior negotiation which sought a $200 million payout from Harvard, a demand the administration later reneged on. In a post on Truth Social, Trump openly criticized Harvard for allegedly 'feeding a lot of nonsense' to the New York Times.

The backdrop to this conflict includes Trump's claims that Harvard has not adequately addressed antisemitism, a charge that the university has vehemently denied. This situation is part of Trump’s broader agenda to challenge what he terms 'woke' ideologies prevalent on U.S. college campuses.

Earlier, in April of the previous year, Trump revoked approximately $2 billion in research grants to Harvard, claiming the university had violated the principles of academic freedom. The university, in turn, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over these funding cuts, which a federal court eventually overturned, citing violations of First Amendment rights related to free speech.

Despite the court ruling, the White House expressed intentions to contest this decision rigorously, reiterating that Harvard would remain 'ineligible for grants in the future'. With a recent clarification, Trump stated that his administration is done negotiating with Harvard, seeking to sever ties altogether while pushing for the lawsuit against the university.

Trump's legal threats coupled with previous tensions raise significant questions about the future of federal funding in academia, particularly as other Ivy League schools like Columbia and Penn opted to negotiate deals to preserve their funding during similar disputes.

As this story develops, it underscores the ongoing culture wars erupting on American campuses, and the ramifications may extend far beyond the courtroom.