Trump says Harvard’s tax-exempt days are numbered – The Times of India
President Donald Trump has ignited a constitutional firestorm with a vow to strip Harvard University of its tax-exempt status, accusing the Ivy League institution of operating as a “political entity” rather than an educational one. His announcement—delivered with characteristic bluntness on Truth Social—marks a sharp escalation in his crusade against elite academia and signals a high-stakes clash over free speech, federal power, and the future of higher education in America.
“We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!” Trump posted, fueling outrage from constitutional scholars and civil rights advocates alike.
Tax code as a political weapon
Framing Harvard as a hub for radical ideologies and accusing it of harboring antisemitic sentiment, Trump demanded the revocation of its nonprofit designation. This latest salvo followed the administration’s decision to freeze over $2 billion in federal funding—an act Harvard contends is illegal retaliation for the university’s refusal to dismantle certain diversity and inclusion programs.
In a previous post, Trump warned that tax-exempt institutions must act “in the PUBLIC INTEREST,” suggesting that Harvard’s alleged ideological bias disqualifies it from such status.
Harvard responds: “An attack on education itself”
Harvard swiftly condemned the threats, with spokesperson Jason Newton asserting that there exists no legal foundation for rescinding the university’s nonprofit status. He emphasised that tax exemptions enable essential public benefits—from financial aid to life-saving medical research—and that targeting those benefits for political reasons would have catastrophic consequences.
The university’s legal filing accuses the Trump administration of violating the First Amendment and misusing federal authority to suppress dissenting views.
Legal experts alarmed by constitutional overreach
Harvard’s lawsuit centers on a fundamental constitutional claim: That freezing billions in research funding because of perceived ideological noncompliance amounts to a gross abuse of executive power. The university insists that the disputed research bears no connection to the campus speech issues cited by the administration, and that it has taken concrete steps to address antisemitism in the wake of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
Congress pushes back: “Illegal and Unconstitutional”
Trump’s threats have not gone unanswered on Capitol Hill. Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, fired off a letter to the acting Treasury inspector general, urging an investigation into what they describe as a politically motivated abuse of IRS powers.
According to IRS regulations, 501(c)(3) organizations are strictly barred from engaging in political campaign activity. But legal analysts note that criticising a university’s culture or curriculum does not equate to evidence of a political campaign, and thus cannot justify revoking its tax-exempt protections.
A dangerous precedent for American higher education
The threat to Harvard is not merely symbolic—it sets a precedent that could leave all nonprofit academic institutions vulnerable to political interference. Experts warn that allowing any administration to weaponise the tax code against ideological opponents would corrode the foundation of free academic inquiry.
If Trump follows through, the fallout could be seismic: Diminished student aid, frozen research projects, and a chilling effect across campuses nationwide.
The battle lines have been drawn. At stake is not only Harvard’s future, but the integrity of American higher education in the face of partisan power plays.
