President Donald Trump said on Friday that a deal with Harvard University could be announced “over the next week or so” as the Trump administration and Ivy League school have been engaged in a months-long fight over diversity programs and antisemitism on Harvard’s campus.
The president praised Harvard for coming to the negotiating table to seek a solution for “their largescale improprieties.” Trump’s fight with Harvard started after he began stripping federal funding for the university over their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and their failure to crack down on antisemitism. The battle between Trump and Harvard intensified earlier this month when the president moved to stop foreign students from enrolling at the university.
“Many people have been asking what is going on with Harvard University and their largescale improprieties that we have been addressing, looking for a solution,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We have been working closely with Harvard, and it is very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so. They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right.”
“If a Settlement is made on the basis that is currently being discussed, it will be ‘mindbogglingly’ HISTORIC, and very good for our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.
Harvard sued the Trump administration for stripping over $2 billion in federal funding, and then sued again over the administration’s attempt to bar foreign students from attending. Shortly before Trump’s comments on Friday, a Boston-based federal judge blocked Trump from revoking Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students, CBS News reported.
Last month, Trump suggested that Harvard cap its foreign student enrollment at 15% of the student body, which would be a drop from the nearly 30% of the student body represented by international students. He added that he wants Harvard to “show us their lists,” so that the Trump administration can “make sure that the foreign students are people that can love our country.”
“We don’t want to see shopping centers exploding. We don’t want to see the kind of riots that you had,” Trump said.
The Daily Wire previously reported that the State Department unveiled new measures for screening foreign students on Wednesday, including searching the social media accounts of students for “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States,” “advocacy for, aid or support for foreign terrorists and other threats to U.S. national security,” and “support for unlawful antisemitic harassment or violence.”
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the State Department said. “The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.”