Trump plans to sue Harvard for $1 billion amid allegations of antisemitism and federal violations.
To close a deal, both sides have to want something enough to offer a concession or two. What happens, though, when both sides want a fight more than concessions?
That’s the problem that both Donald Trump and Harvard face at the moment. Trump wants the fight with Harvard to curry favor with his base, and Harvard wants the exact same thing. And so, the billion-dollar lawsuit over Harvard’s anti-Semitism and federal-law violations is back on the table, the Wall Street Journal reports:
President Trump said he is seeking $1 billion in damages from Harvard University, the latest escalation in his administration’s fight with the institution over alleged antisemitism.
Trump posted on social media after the New York Times reported that his administration had dropped its demand for a $200 million payment to the government to settle the dispute.
“Strongly Antisemitic Harvard University has been feeding a lot of ‘nonsense’ to The Failing New York Times,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform overnight. “This case will continue until justice is served,” he added. “We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University.”
Presumably, this also means that federal funding will not restart in the near future, putting pressure on Harvard’s research operations. The NY Times reported that the $200 million and agreements to abide by the Trump administration’s interpretations of Titles VI and IX would settle the case, but had to change their report when Trump posted his repudiation on Truth Social:
Trump administration officials have indicated in recent days that the president no longer expects such a payment, according to the Harvard and Trump officials briefed on the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.
