Trump denies concessions to Harvard, demands billions in compensation

US President Donald Trump has announced that his administration is demanding $1 billion from Harvard University to settle federal investigations into the school's admissions policies. Despite months of negotiations, however, no final agreement has yet been reached between the government and the university.

Trump also threatened to withhold federal funding from Harvard and other universities.

The government justifies its actions with issues related to pro-Palestinian protests against the Israeli war in Gaza, diversity policies on academic grounds, and topics related to transgender policy. Trump repeatedly claims that Harvard and other universities tolerated expressions of anti-Semitism during the protests.

The US president responded to a report in the New York Times that the administration had backed down from its financial demands. The president denied this information. Back in September, he announced that an agreement was close and would include a payment of $500 million from Harvard.

The school did not immediately comment on the statements. However, the university sued the government last year, and the court subsequently ruled that some grants had been cancelled illegally. Meanwhile, several Ivy League universities have reached agreements with the administration and agreed to financial payments.

(reuters, max)