In April, the Trump administration froze $2.3 billion in aid to the prestigious university, after Harvard rejected the White House's demands for increased control over the university's operations.
The President then threatened to also revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status, which he is now confirming.
The government has, among other things, demanded that educational institutions in the USA cease efforts on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs – so-called DEI programs – and prohibit masking at demonstrations on university premises.
Harvard's rector Alan Garber has stated that the school "will not give up its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government", reports CNN.
Democrats claim that Trump's actions against Harvard are solely politically motivated. Chuck Schumer, minority leader in the Senate, and several other Democrats in the Senate want the head of tax matters at the Finance Department to investigate the President's attempts to remove the university's tax exemption.
They believe that Trump's actions "raise alarming constitutional questions, including whether the president is attempting to limit Harvard's freedom of speech.
