In a social media post, President Trump said Harvard University will act “very appropriately” and that deals with the government could come next week.
Trump bans Harvard University from recognizing new international students
A new two-page order from President Donald Trump prohibits Harvard from allowing new international students.
WASHINGTON – In a sudden shift, President Donald Trump shows that his months-long pressure campaign against Harvard University may be coming to an end.
In a social media post on June 20, he said his administration is “working closely” with Harvard officials who “appear to behave very well during these negotiations and seemingly committed to doing the right thing.”
“It’s very likely that the deal will be announced next week or so,” Trump said. He used the term “settlement” when describing potential resolutions, but it appears to indicate that Dentente can sort out Harvard’s pending lawsuit against the federal government.
Trump’s comments follow a series of legal victories by Harvard leaders who vowed in April to fight back on what many onlookers of higher education described as unprecedented interference in campus issues.
The Trump administration has attempted to freeze billions of Harvard federal funds, begin reviewing schools’ tax-free status, and enroll the international students, who make up a third of their student population.
The White House says that Harvard University had most of these actions to force them to better contain anti-Semitism on campus. Critics say the rationale does not reflect the massive changes in employment, education and enrolment that the administration has sought to impose on Ivy League schools.
Just hours after the university filed a new lawsuit against Trump in June, US District Judge Alison Burrows prevented the federal government from preventing Harvard from registering international students. Burrows bans indefinitely on June 20th, while lawsuits continue between the White House and Harvard University.
Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA Today. You can contact him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @Zachschermele and follow Bluesky at @Zachschermele.bsky.social.
