Donald Trump Criticizes Harvard University Again
US President Trump Defends Harvard International Student Ban After Court Ruling
Washington – US President Donald Trump has defended his administration's decision to revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, following a judge's ruling to temporarily suspend the action. In a post on Truth Social, Trump argued that nearly 31% of students at Harvard are from countries unfriendly to the US, and the university has not provided details on these students despite repeated requests.
Trump explained, "Why isn't Harvard disclosing that almost 31% of their students are from foreign lands, some of which are not friendly with the United States, yet those countries pay nothing toward their students' education? Nobody briefed us on this."
The President continued, "Harvard received $52 million yet refuses to disclose the names and countries of these foreign students. We demand transparency; we provide Harvard with billions of dollars, but they continue asking for federal aid."
The comments follow a federal judge's decision on Friday to temporarily halt the Trump administration's move to block foreign students at Harvard, a policy implemented on Thursday by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The policy, which threatened to expand the crackdown to other colleges, accused the university of fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.
Harvard has claimed the move is illegal and amounts to retaliation. The university has sued the Trump administration, aiming to "stop the government's arbitrary, capricious, unlawful, and unconstitutional action."
The controversy marks a significant escalation of Trump's campaign against Harvard University, one of his most prominent institutional targets. As a candidate, Trump pledged a wide-ranging immigration crackdown, and his administration has sought to revoke student visas and green cards, target private colleges, and revamp schools across the US. Critics accuse Trump of attacking academic independence, while supporters argue the initiative aims to eliminate anti-American, Marxist, and radical left ideologies.
Harvard University, the wealthiest US university with an endowment valued at $53.2 billion, enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in the 2024-2025 school year, representing 27% of the total enrollment. Chinese nationals were the largest group of foreign students, followed by students from Canada, India, South Korea, the UK, Germany, Australia, Singapore, and Japan. The loss of these students, amounting to more than a quarter of Harvard's student body, could prove costly to the institution.
"The controversy surrounding the Trump administration's decision to revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students is not just a matter of politics, but also a significant issue in education-and-self-development policy and legislation. In the context of general news, this decision, along with Trump's comments, raises questions about academic independence and the role of politics in higher education."
"Moreover, the ongoing legal battle between Harvard University and the Trump administration, involving the issue of transparency and the refusal to disclose the names and countries of foreign students, sheds light on the complexities in the relationship between politics, learning, and policy-and-legislation within the higher education system."
