Trump: Close to deal with Harvard, they will pay $500 million

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump said yesterday that his administration is close to a deal with Harvard University and stated that the Ivy League institution should pay $500 million, following months of negotiations on educational policies.

The administration has been clashing with several prestigious universities and threatening to withhold federal funds over issues including pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's war in Gaza, campus diversity, and transgender policies.

"Linda is finalizing the last details," Trump told reporters at an Oval Office event, referring to Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

"And they will pay about $500 million and they will run vocational schools. They will teach people how to use artificial intelligence and many other things, engines, many things," he said.

Trump had accused Harvard and other universities of allowing antisemitism at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Several other universities from the so-called Ivy League have reached settlements with the Trump administration in recent months, including Columbia and Brown. Columbia agreed to pay the government more than $220 million, and Brown announced it would allocate $50 million to support local workforce development.

The Trump administration has withheld more than $2 billion in funding for research projects.

It also sought to ban international students from attending, jeopardized Harvard's accreditation status, and opened the door to further funding cuts by determining it violated federal civil rights law.

Harvard President Alan Garber said that various federal actions since Trump's return to office in January could deprive Harvard of nearly $1 billion annually, forcing it to lay off staff and freeze hiring.