In latest Harvard vs Trump showdown, US launches probe into Ivy’s exchange program | World News
The US State Department has launched an investigation into Harvard University’s eligibility as a sponsor in its exchange visitor program, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a statement.
“The investigation will ensure that State Department programs do not run contrary to our nation’s interests,” Rubio said.
“The American people have the right to expect their universities to uphold national security, comply with the law, and provide safe environments for all students,” Rubio added as this marked the latest attempt the Trump adminration to pressure the Ivy League university.
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The State Department is probing the Exchange Visitor Program at Harvard, which enables the institution to host international students, scholars, and faculty for short-term academic engagements. If Harvard’s sponsorship status is revoked, it would significantly hinder the university’s ability to bring overseas talent to its Cambridge, Massachusetts campus.
Rubio said that retaining the “privilege” of sponsoring exchange visitors comes with responsibility. Harvard, he said, must not “compromise” the national security interests of the United States.
This is not the first time Harvard has clashed with the Trump adminration during Donald Trump’s second term as president. In June, a federal judge blocked an adminration attempt to bar international students from enrolling at the university. Additionally, Harvard is suing the federal government over the loss of more than $2 billion in research grants.
The renewed tension with one of America’s top academic institutions also follows the Trump adminration’s intensified focus on tackling antisemitism on college campuses. Trump has repeatedly accused Harvard of failing to protect Jewish students, claiming the school violated the Civil Rights Act amid a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations.Story continues below this ad
“Harvard is an Anti-Semitic, Far Left Institution, as are numerous others, with students being accepted from all over the World that want to rip our Country apart,” Trump wrote in an April post on Truth Social. “The place is a Liberal mess, allowing a certain group of crazed lunatics to enter and exit the classroom and spew fake ANGER AND HATE.”
While Trump suggested in late June that a potential deal with Harvard could be on the table, no agreement has emerged so far.
