Trump seeks $1 billion from Harvard University in damages in antisemitism row

US President Donald Trump said late on Monday his administration is pursuing $1 billion from Harvard to settle federal probes into the university over school policies, with the two sides yet to reach a final deal despite months of talks.

The Trump administration has been threatening to withhold federal funds from Harvard and several other universities over issues including pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, campus diversity and transgender policies.

Trump has said Harvard and other universities allowed displays of antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests.

“We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, without specifying how he arrived at that figure or what damages exactly he was referring to.

Trump’s post came in response to a New York Times report, citing sources, saying the Trump administration has dropped its demand for cash from Harvard in ongoing talks to strike a deal. Trump dismissed the report.

Trump officials and Harvard have engaged in months of talks. Trump said in September a deal was close and would involve a $500 million payment by Harvard.

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Harvard did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The government has settled its probes with some universities. Harvard sued the Trump administration last year and a judge later ruled the government had unlawfully terminated some grants for the university.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, say their criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and in Palestinian territories should not be characterized as antisemitism, and their advocacy for Palestinian rights should not be equated with extremism.

Rights advocates have also raised free speech and academic freedom concerns over Trump’s probes.

Still, an internal report as well as an investigation conducted by the Trump administration found that Harvard’s campus had become an intensely hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students and that the university had failed to address the social and academic issues that had contributed to the hostility.

Several other Ivy League schools, including Columbia University and Brown University, have reached agreements with the administration and accepted certain government demands. Columbia agreed to pay more than $220 million to the government and Brown said it will pay $50 million to support local workforce development.