Trump claims he reached a $500M deal with Harvard, but quickly backtracks
President Donald Trump claims his administration has reached a $500 million deal with Harvard University, according to reporting at an event in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
After reporters asked follow-up questions, he reversed course and said they were "close to finalizing" the agreement. "We haven't done it yet," he said, according to The Associated Press .
Trump said the deal payout will be used to create "a giant trade school, a series of trade schools that would be run by Harvard," the outlet said.
"They're going to be teaching people how to do AI and lots of other things," Trump said.
A Harvard spokesperson didn't respond immediately to a request for comment.
The potential deal comes after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate the university's nearly $3 billion in federal funding cuts.
However, since then, the government pressure against the university hasn't let up. The Trump administration recommended on Monday that Harvard be excluded from federal funding to "protect the public interest," and the U.S. Committee on Education and Workforce also demanded this week that Harvard provide more information as part of its ongoing investigation into campus antisemitism.
Columbia University , the University of Pennsylvania and Brown University have already made deals with the Trump administration.
Trump publicly announced in June that the federal government was in talks with Harvard over a "'mindbogglingly' HISTORIC" deal that would occur "over the next week or so." The New York Times later reported that Harvard was open to a potential $500 million settlement.
Whether a deal at Harvard is a good thing for the institution is something that has been up for debate. However, not compromising on academic freedom remains a constant concern for professors and students .
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