The Trump administration wants Harvard University to apologize and questioned the goal of federal financing after frozen $ 2.2 billion in multi-annual subsidies for the university this Monday.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt framed the government’s action as an effort to contain anti-Semitism on university campuses. But administration is also requiring the university to eliminate its programs of diversity, equity and inclusion, prohibits masks in campus protests and ensures merit -based hiring practices.
Pressed on the US President’s threat last Tuesday of Taxing Harvard as a political entity and removing his tax status, Leavitt “kicked” questions to the tax authorities, but said the university needed to apologize.
Trump, Leavitt said, “want to see Harvard apologize, and Harvard must apologize for the blatant anti-Semitism that occurred at his university campus against Jewish American students.”
Leavitt referred to the observations made during a hearing in Congress by the former rector of the University, Claudine Gay, according to which to appeal to the Jewish genocide “may” violate Harvard rules on intimidation and harassment “depending on context.” Gay apologized for his statements.
Leavitt also referred to what he described how Harvard did not discipline the students involved in a campus camp and in the disturbance of classes. “The president believes Harvard should apologize to his Jewish-American students for allowing such a blatant behavior,” Leavitt said.
The spokesman approached more than once the issue of federal financing.
“I think the president is also asking a good question: more than $ 2 billion for Harvard when they have a dollar endowment of over $ 50 billion – why are American taxpayers subsidizing a university that already has billions of dollars in the bank?
