President Donald Trump is turning up the heat on Harvard University, blasting the Ivy League school as a “joke” that’s filled with “radical leftist dopes and birdbrains,” and demanding that its massive federal funding be cut off immediately.
In a fiery post on Truth Social, Trump took aim at Harvard’s leadership and faculty, mocking the school for hiring failed Democrat mayors like Bill de Blasio and Lori Lightfoot—calling them two of the “worst and most incompetent mayors in American history.” Trump didn’t hold back, saying Harvard has become “a factory for hate and stupidity” and no longer deserves to receive taxpayer dollars.
“They hire frauds, radicals, and political hacks. It’s an embarrassment to the country,” Trump wrote. “Pull their funding.”
The criticism comes on the heels of Trump’s decision to freeze $2.3 billion in federal grants and contracts to Harvard after the university refused to comply with new federal standards aimed at restoring merit-based education and eliminating divisive DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs. The administration’s demands also included cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and an overhaul of hiring practices to eliminate political bias.
Harvard President Alan Garber responded defiantly, insisting that the university would not bend to government pressure, stating that no administration—Republican or Democrat—has the right to dictate academic priorities, admissions policies, or curriculum decisions. Garber called it a matter of “constitutional rights,” though critics say the Constitution doesn’t entitle elite universities to endless federal subsidies while they push radical ideology.
Trump also revisited the controversy surrounding former Harvard President Claudine Gay, who resigned following multiple plagiarism scandals and criticism of her leadership amid rising antisemitism on campus. Trump cited her as just one more example of Harvard’s “complete collapse into political extremism and incompetence.”
Other elite universities like Columbia, Stanford, and Princeton have rushed to defend Harvard, while former President Barack Obama chimed in with praise for the school’s defiance. But to many Americans, the message from Trump is long overdue: if Harvard wants to act like a political organization, it can do so without taxpayer funding.
This latest escalation is part of Trump’s broader crackdown on woke academia, as the administration takes steps to ensure federal funds are tied to education—not indoctrination. With more universities potentially facing audits and funding freezes, Trump is sending a clear signal: higher education must return to excellence, accountability, and American values—or be cut off.