• People walk through Harvard Yard on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 15, 2025 (AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday labeled Harvard University a “joke” and called for the prestigious institution to lose its federal research funding after it rejected demands for external political oversight.

The Trump administration also threatened to bar Harvard from accepting international students unless it complies with its conditions. US media outlets reported that officials are now considering revoking the university’s tax-exempt status.

"Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World's Great Universities or Colleges," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds."

Trump's criticism stems from the university’s refusal to submit to government control over its admissions policies, hiring practices, and political orientation. While other institutions, such as Columbia University, have accepted less sweeping oversight, Harvard has firmly pushed back.

University President Alan Garber affirmed that Harvard will not “negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights.”

Tax-exempt status and federal funding

Earlier this week, Trump ordered the freezing of $2.2 billion in federal funding allocated to Harvard, much of it supporting its leading medical and scientific research programs. On Tuesday, he called for Harvard to lose its nonprofit "Tax Exempt Status" if it does not comply.

According to reports from CNN and The Washington Post, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is preparing to act on Trump’s request. However, White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields emphasized in an email to AFP that “any forthcoming actions by the IRS will be conducted independently of the President.”

In a separate warning, the Department of Homeland Security warned Wednesday that Harvard could lose the ability to enroll foreign students unless it can verify full compliance with federal reporting obligations. International students currently account for 27.2% of Harvard’s student body, according to the university’s website.

The controversy has drawn national attention. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, wearing a Harvard T-shirt, criticized the administration’s stance as “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard” and voiced his support for "academic freedom".

Push for federal control

The Trump administration has publicly defended its campaign against elite universities as a response to what it describes as widespread "anti-Semitism" and diversity programs aimed at encouraging minorities.

The anti-Semitism claims are tied to last year’s wave of student protests across US campuses opposing "Israel’s" war on Gaza. Columbia University, a key protest hub, agreed last month to federal oversight of its Middle Eastern studies department after facing the threat of losing $400 million in funding.

The administration’s broader critique echoes longstanding conservative concerns that American universities are dominated by liberal ideologies and fail to protect viewpoint diversity.

In Harvard’s case, the White House is seeking an extraordinary degree of control over one of the world’s most prominent academic institutions. The demands outlined in a letter to the university include:

• Ending admissions policies that consider race or national origin
• Barring foreign students perceived as “hostile to the American values and institutions”
• Prohibiting hiring practices based on race, religion, sex, or national origin
• Reducing student influence in university governance
• Auditing faculty and students for “viewpoint diversity”
• Overhauling departments with “egregious records of anti-Semitism or other bias”
• Cracking down on campus protests

Read more: Obama backs Harvard as Yale faculty support standing up to Trump