Trump says seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard

• Trump says U.S. will seek USD 1 billion in damages from Harvard, rejecting further ties despite reported settlement concessions.

U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration is seeking USD 1 billion in damages from Harvard University, marking a major escalation in a long‑running dispute between the White House and the Ivy League institution.

Trump announces USD 1 billion claim

Trump made the announcement late Monday in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, saying: “We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University.” He did not specify the exact legal claims or harms underlying the figure.

Context of the dispute

The president’s statement comes amid tense settlement negotiations after a federal judge ruled last December that the government acted unlawfully when it cut off more than USD 2 billion in federal research grants to Harvard and could not continue withholding those funds. The administration has appealed that decision.

Harvard has been at the center of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to pressure U.S. universities it accuses of harboring antisemitic and “radical left” ideologies and failing to protect Jewish students during recent campus protests.

Failed settlement talks

In recent months, Trump officials and university representatives held protracted talks that at times appeared to be nearing a settlement reportedly valued at around USD 500 million, although those talks ultimately broke down. Trump characterized the university’s proposed alternatives, which included workforce development programs, as ineffective and insufficient.

The administration has also pressured other elite institutions; for example, Columbia University agreed last year to a roughly USD 200 million settlement with the government and accepted certain policy conditions.

Harvard’s response and legal uncertainty

Harvard has so far declined to make any public comment in response to Trump’s latest statement, and it remains unclear what legal basis the USD 1 billion claim may have or in which court the damages would be sought.

Background on broader university disputes

Harvard and other universities have previously filed lawsuits challenging actions by the Trump administration, including attempts to revoke federal research funding and limit visas for international students, legal battles that underscore ongoing tensions over academic freedom, federal oversight, and campus policy.