Trump lashes out Harvard again, calls university a ‘joke’ teaching ‘hate and stupidity’ | World News

US President Donald Trump Wednesday once again took aim at Harvard, saying it should not receive federal funds, intensifying a standoff that has become central to his broader campaign against elite academic institutions.Harvard, which Trump called a “JOKE” that “teaches hate and stupidity,” has become a symbol of resance to his efforts to bring top universities under sweeping government oversight — in sharp contrast to others that have bowed to pressure from the White House.
“Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any l of the World’s Great Universities or Colleges,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds.”

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The US President criticised two of university’s high-profile appointments – former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
“They hired, from New York (Bill D) and Chicago (Lori L), at ridiculously high salaries/fees, two of the WORST and MOST INCOMPETENT mayors in the hory of our Country, to ‘teach’ municipal management and government,” Trump wrote.
Trump also accused the institution of filling its ranks with “woke, Radical Left” individuals. the republican also claimed that they were unqualified and fostered a culture of failure among students. “Harvard has been hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE to students and so-called ‘future leaders,’” Trump said.
Further, he also referred to the recent plagiarism controversy involving Harvard’s former president, saying, “When it got so bad that they just couldn’t take it anymore, they moved this grossly inept woman into another position, teaching, rather than firing her ON THE SPOT.”Story continues below this ad
The President’s remarks follow a series of moves targeting the university, including a threat to revoke its nonprofit, tax-exempt status and the freezing of $2.2 billion in federal funding. Trump has demanded sweeping changes to the university’s governance, including how it admits students and hires faculty, as well as want the university to crack down on antisemitism and alleged civil rights violations, including shutting down diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

On Tuesday, Harvard President Alan Garber responded, saying the university “will not negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights.”
Trump’s adminration has framed its crackdown on higher education as a response to what it claims is rampant anti-Semitism on campuses — pointing to last year’s widespread protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, some of which included pro-Palestinian slogans.
The White House has also linked federal funding to compliance with diversity policies, threatening dozens of institutions with cuts over race-conscious admissions and hiring practices.Story continues below this ad
Universities push back
According to reports the Guardian, Harvard’s stand against the Trump adminration appears to have rallied other universities.
KTVU reports that Stanford University President Jonathan Levin and Provost Jenny Martinez expressed strong support for Harvard, saying that while universities must address criticism with “humility and openness,” government control is not the solution. They warned against “destroying the nation’s capacity for scientific research” and defended academic freedom, stating that America’s universities are built on “government investment but not government control.”

Citing the First Amendment, they affirmed that universities must retain the freedom to decide “who gets to teach, what is taught, how it is taught, and who is admitted to study.”
Meanwhile, Columbia University — which had earlier bowed to Trump adminration demands as a condition to unfreeze $400 million in federal grants — has now drawn a line, according to the New York Times. Its acting president stated the university will not accept any deal that undermines its autonomy, even as negotiations with the White House continue over proposed judicial oversight.Story continues below this ad
At Yale, faculty members have urged the university’s leadership to “res and legally challenge any unlawful demands that threaten academic freedom and … self-governance.”