Don’s close to closing the deal…
President Donald Trump says that Harvard University has reached a tentative agreement with his administration to restore $2.4 billion in frozen federal grants.
As part of the deal, Trump said, America’s oldest university will commit about $500 million to launch and operate trade schools — a condition aimed at resolving disputes over antisemitism on campus, civil rights violations, and the use of race-based affirmative action.
“This would be a giant trade school, or series of trade schools. It would be run by Harvard,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“Now, this is something that we’re close to finalizing. We haven’t done it yet, but they’d put up $500 million. Interest and everything else will go to that account, meaning, go to the trade school. And you know, it’s a big investment in trade schools done by very smart people, and then their sins are forgiven.”
Trump made the announcement almost in passing, during an unrelated White House event focused on childhood cancer.
“I guess we reached a deal with Harvard today,” Trump said. “All you have to do is paper it, right Linda?” he asked Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who confirmed.
Trump had demanded McMahon extract $500 million from Harvard after previously forcing Columbia University to pay a $200 million penalty for civil rights violations.
The administration froze federal grant money to both Harvard and Columbia earlier this year, citing their failure to adequately combat antisemitism in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel and the Jewish state’s subsequent invasion of Gaza.
Watch the clip below:
🚨 BREAKING: Pres. Trump says he is "very close" to closing a deal with Harvard that will result in the university paying $500 million towards operating trade schools & teaching students about AI@reaganreese_ pic.twitter.com/ni2Akk4W9Z
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 30, 2025
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