Trump administration seeks $1 billion from Harvard University

US President Donald Trump said late on Monday that his administration is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University, escalating a long-running dispute between the White House and the Ivy League school. The president made the statement in a post on Truth Social, without detailing what specific harm the university had caused.

“We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University,” Trump said in the post on Truth Social.

The remarks come as the administration continues its legal battle with the university. In December, Trump’s administration appealed a judge’s ruling that said it had unlawfully terminated more than $2 billion in federal grants awarded to Harvard and could no longer cut off research funding to the university.

Funding dispute and earlier talks

Harvard has been a key focus of the administration’s broader effort to use federal funding to push changes at U.S. universities. Trump has said universities are affected by antisemitic and “radical left” ideologies.

Last year, Trump said his administration was close to a deal with Harvard after months of negotiations over university policies. That proposed agreement would have included a $500 million payment by the school.

(With inputs from Reuters)