After U.S. President Trump said Harvard University should be stripped of its tax-exempt status, Harvard hit back, warning that the move would jeopardize the school's ability to fulfill its mission and pose a threat to American higher education. Harvard spokesman Jason Newton said in a statement, "There is no legal basis to support the removal of Harvard's tax-exempt status.
This move will harm Harvard's work in medical research and its ability to provide financial aid to students." Newton warned that using this "tactic" will have "serious consequences" for the future of American higher education.
Trump stepped up his fight against Harvard, the nation's oldest and richest university, after it refused to accept the administration's demands. This week, the U.S. government froze more than $2.2 billion in multi-year funding to Harvard, and Trump also suggested that the Internal Revenue Service should tax Harvard as a "political entity." Later, his homeland security secretary threatened to prevent the school from recruiting foreign students.
The White House has been trying to reform the elite education system, saying universities should be more active in combating anti-Semitism. But this series of measures has also triggered concerns from the outside world that the government's actions may be suppressing free speech and endangering academic freedom.
Harvard University President Alan Garber said the school is willing to cooperate with the government to combat anti-Semitism, but the request made by the authorities shows that its true intention is not that. Harvard pointed out that the government was trying to interfere with the school's teaching content, hiring standards and admissions decisions, and that Harvard "will not give up its independence and rights granted by the Constitution."
Former Harvard University President Larry Summers said Trump's attacks on Harvard were not isolated.
White House spokesman Harrison Fields said the IRS was investigating the school's tax-exempt status long before Trump called on Harvard to pay taxes. He added that "any future actions the IRS may take will be conducted independently of the president."