Trump vs Harvard: US President demands 15% cap on foreign students, accuses university of ‘disrespecting’ America

President Donald Trump on Wednesday (May 28) called for Harvard University to limit the number of foreign students it admits to 15%. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump criticised the Ivy League institution for what he described as disrespect toward the United States.

"Harvard has got to behave themselves. Harvard is treating our country with great disrespect and all they're doing is getting in deeper and deeper," Trump told reporters at the White House.

“I think they should have a cap of maybe around 15%, not 31%,” Trump said. “We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools, they can’t get in because we have foreign students there.”

“I want to make sure that the foreign students are people that can love our country,” Trump said

Call for foreign student list disclosure

Alongside the proposed cap, Trump demanded that Harvard provide the administration with a list of its current foreign students. The move is part of the broader scrutiny of immigration and foreign influence at American universities.

The president’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about the role and impact of activism of international students in US higher education institutions.

Trump draws comparison with Columbia

Trump escalated his confrontation with Harvard University, accusing the institution of disrespecting the country and singling it out as a hotbed of antisemitism linked to anti-Israel protests. But, Trump praised Columbia University for being cooperative, despite also calling it “very, very bad.”

“Harvard has to understand the last thing I want to do is hurt them. They’re hurting themselves. They’re fighting,” Trump said. “Columbia has been very, very bad — what they’ve done, they’re very antisemitic and lots of other things — but they’re working with us on finding a solution.”

Federal funding frozen, legal fight ensues

Harvard has emerged as a primary target in Trump’s campaign against elite academic institutions. His administration has frozen over $2.6 billion in federal research funding earmarked for the university. And, Harvard filed a lawsuit and secured a temporary court order blocking the administration’s move to ban foreign students.

Also, Trump’s team is now working to cancel all remaining federal contracts with the university.

DEI and tax-exempt status also under fire

Beyond funding and enrollment issues, the Trump administration has targeted Harvard’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, claiming they promote left-wing bias and contribute to campus polarisation. Trump has also suggested stripping Harvard of its tax-exempt status, a move that would carry severe financial consequences even for the university with a $53 billion endowment.

Wider crackdown on higher ed institutions

Trump’s actions against Harvard are part of a broader push to reshape American higher education, particularly in the wake of campus protests over Israel’s war in Gaza. Administration officials have framed their crackdown as an effort to root out antisemitism and force reforms in admissions, hiring, and campus speech policies.