Daijiworld Media Network - New York

New York, May 3: US President Donald Trump has intensified his battle with Harvard University, threatening on Friday to revoke its tax-exempt status amid ongoing legal and political tensions. “We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!” Trump wrote on social media.

The post follows Harvard’s lawsuit against the administration, filed in April, after the government froze over $2 billion in federal funding to the university. Harvard argues the freeze violates its constitutional rights and threatens academic independence.

Trump's punitive stance comes in response to Harvard’s refusal to comply with policy demands, including dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Although the IRS has not officially responded, a White House spokesperson said any related IRS actions would be independent and not prompted by the president’s public comments.

Earlier this week, Harvard made notable internal changes, renaming its "Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging" and announcing the end of university-sponsored affinity group commencements. The university also released reports on campus bias, including anti-Semitic and anti-Palestinian incidents.

Despite these efforts, the administration indicated Harvard must do more to address anti-Israel bias. The university maintains that revoking its nonprofit status would be “unlawful and unprecedented.”

Since taking office in January, Trump has escalated pressure on elite universities, accusing them of promoting “Marxist” and “anti-American” ideologies, and has targeted their funding, governance, and international programs.