White House seeking fines from universities accused of antisemitism, including Harvard — official

Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters gather at Harvard University to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza at a rally in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 14, 2023. (Joseph Prezioso / AFP)
Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters gather at Harvard University to show their support for Palestinians in Gaza at a rally in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 14, 2023. (Joseph Prezioso / AFP)

The White House is seeking fines from several universities it says failed to stop antisemitism on campus, including Harvard University, in exchange for restoring federal funding, a Trump administration official says.

The administration is in talks with several universities, including Cornell, Duke, Northwestern and Brown, the source says, confirming a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the administration is close to striking deals with Northwestern and Brown and potentially Cornell. A deal with Harvard is a key target for the White House, the official adds.

The universities have not immediately responded to requests for comment.

The Trump administration has welcomed the Columbia deal, with officials believing the university set the standard on how to reach an agreement, says the Trump administration official.

Columbia University, the epicenter of a wave of anti-Israel activity last year, amid the war in Gaza, said Wednesday that it would pay more than $200 million to the US government in a settlement to resolve federal probes and restore most of its suspended federal funding.

Harvard has taken a different approach, suing the federal government in a bid to get its suspended federal grants restored.

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