White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump wants to see Harvard apologize for the antisemitism on its campus.
"When it comes to Harvard, as I said, the President has been quite clear, they must follow federal law," Leavitt told reporters when asked if Trump is considering the possibility of removing the school's tax-exempt status.
"He also wants to see Harvard apologize, and Harvard should apologize for the egregious antisemitism that took place on their college campus against Jewish American students," she added.
Leavitt’s comments come a day after the Trump administration announced that it had frozen approximately $2.3 billion in federal funding allocated to Harvard University following the school’s refusal to comply with directives from the White House targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
According to an announcement from the US Department of Education, the decision encompasses a freeze on $2.2 billion in grant money, as well as $60 million in federal contracts previously designated for the Ivy League institution.
The funding cut was announced hours after Harvard University President Alan Garber stated that the university would refuse to comply with the Trump administration's demands on campus protests, diversity programs, and campus antisemitism.
The Trump administration recently issued a firm ultimatum to Harvard University, demanding sweeping policy changes as a condition for maintaining its access to nearly $9 billion in federal grants and contracts.
Harvard, like other universities in the US, has seen an uptick in anti-Israel activity since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the war in Gaza which followed. The university has come under fire over its handling of antisemitism on campus.
Just two days after the October 7 massacre, a coalition of 34 Harvard student organizations released a statement in which they blamed Israel for Hamas’ attack.
Later, then-Harvard President Claudine Gay came under fire after she, along with MIT President Sally Kornbluth and University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, testified before a congressional hearing on the issue of antisemitism on college campuses.
All three university presidents gave similar answers to Rep. Elise Stefanik in which they failed to unequivocally condemn antisemitism or even calls for genocide against Jews. Gay eventually resigned as President of Harvard.