Trump ends Harvard feud with $500 million trade schools agreement
The agreement would see Harvard fund trade schools, expand AI courses, and resolve sanctions tied to antisemitism row and federal grant cuts
US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday (September 30) that his administration was close to striking a deal with Harvard University, the oldest and wealthiest university in the US, which has been embroiled in a feud with the White House.
The US President also stated that the deal includes Harvard University paying the US Government $500 million and operating trade schools, as well as offering courses on artificial intelligence (AI).
Although President Trump initially said that all that was left of the deal was for Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “paper it out,” but later said McMahon was “finishing up the final details.” “And then their sins are forgiven,” Trump said.
As for the chances of striking a deal with Harvard University, Trump said that his administration has “a good chance of getting that closed,” reported Politico.
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Investment to revive trade schools
Trump said the agreement includes a $500 million payment from Harvard that would be used to create “a giant trade school, a series of trade schools that would be run by Harvard.” Trump described it as an investment to revive trade schools and produce workers for American plants.
“They’re going to be teaching people how to do AI and lots of other things,” Trump said.
A deal would open the door to a resolution of sanctions that have included cuts to more than $2.6 billion in Harvard’s research grants, losses of federal contracts, and efforts to cut off the school’s ability to enrol foreign students.
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Accused of tolerating antisemitism
Earlier, the Trump administration had alleged that Harvard was tolerating antisemitism, particularly during last year’s protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
In a letter to Harvard, federal officials said the campus was “overrun by an impermissible, multiweek encampment” that left Jewish and Israeli students fearful and disrupted their studies, reported AP.
Harvard President Alan Garber has acknowledged problems with antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias on campus, but said Harvard has taken strides to fight prejudice.
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Harvard University’s legal victory
However, earlier this month, Harvard University scored a legal victory over the Trump administration as a federal judge in Boston ordered the Trump administration to reverse the cuts to research funding, ruling the cuts amounted to illegal retaliation for Harvard’s rejection of the administration’s demands.
The government had tied the funding freezes to Harvard’s handling of antisemitism allegations, but the judge said the university’s federally backed research had little connection to discrimination against Jews.
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