US President Donald Trump indicated Wednesday that his administration may accept a $500 million settlement from Harvard University in an ongoing legal dispute over billions in federal funding that was frozen amid concerns over antisemitism and controversial diversity policies.
"Well it's a lot of money," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked whether half a billion dollars would suffice to resolve the issue, according to Reuters.
His comment follows a report published Monday by The New York Times, which stated that Harvard has expressed readiness to pay up to $500 million in order to end the standoff.
"We're negotiating with Harvard now. They would like to settle, so we'll see what happens," Trump stated on Wednesday.
The Trump administration has taken several steps against Harvard University in the wake of its failure to handle growing antisemitism on campus, including a freeze of more than $2 billion in federal research funding.
In addition to the funding cuts, Trump has also advocated for revoking the university's tax-exempt status.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to issue subpoenas for information concerning alleged misconduct by foreign students at Harvard.
Another step involved a proclamation that bars new foreign students from entering the United States to attend the university. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the administration from implementing the proclamation.
Harvard recently published two internal reviews detailing incidents of discrimination against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab students during last year’s protests. The reports found that some students feared marginalization for expressing political views.