"We don’t want students causing trouble": Trump on tussle with Harvard University

Washington DC [US], May 31 (ANI): US President Donald Trump remain adamant on restricting Harvard University’s ability to enroll foreign students, stating that he doesn’t want "students who are causing trouble" in the country. 

Trump also highlighted the administration’s tussle with Harvard University over the funding of the institution. 

“We want students, I want foreign students here... Our country has given Harvard $5 billion plus over a short period of time. Nobody knew that; we found that out. I wouldn't say that was a DOGE thing,” Trump said. 

“We ended up in litigation for other reasons because they're very anti-semitic. And in finding out and in going through the books, we found out that the country gave them $5 billion plus, much more than that, actually, and we're having it out with them, and let's see what happens. It's a very sad case. It's a case we win. We can't lose that case because we have the right to make grants. We're not going to make any grants like that, but I don't think Harvard has been acting very nicely,” he added. 

The dispute escalated after the Trump administration moved to block Harvard University from enrolling international students, leading to a legal battle. 

Earlier, Trump advocated that the institution should cap the number of foreign students it admits at 15 per cent.

In a fiery remark against Harvard University, Trump suggested that many foreign nationals admitted by Harvard are "troublemakers", disrupting the country. "We don't want to see shopping centres explode. We don't want to see the kind of riots that you had," he added.

Stating that Harvard University admits almost 31 percent of foreign students which some are from "areas of the world that are very radicalised", Trump said, "Why would 31 percent? Why would a number be so big? I think they (Harvard University) should have a cap of maybe around 15 per cent. We have people that want to go to Harvard and other schools but they can't get in because we have foreign students there."

"I want to make sure that foreign students are people that can love our country. We don't want to see shopping centres explode. We don't want to see the kind of riots that you had, and I'll tell you what, many of those students didn't go anywhere, many of those students were troublemakers caused by the radical left." Trump added.

A federal judge had temporarily halted the Trump administration's ban after Harvard University filed a suit in federal court.

Harvard argued revocation of its certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program was "clear retaliation" for its refusal of the government's ideologically rooted policy demands. (ANI)