Former President Donald Trump intensified his ongoing battle with higher education — and specifically Harvard University — on Wednesday by instructing the IRS to revoke the school’s tax-exempt status.
CNN was the first to report the development, stating that the IRS is now preparing to carry out the directive, with a final decision expected in the coming days.
However, as The New York Times pointed out Wednesday night, the move is widely considered unlawful. Federal law prohibits the president from ordering the IRS to audit or investigate any specific individual or institution.
This latest escalation follows an earlier move by the Trump administration, which froze public funding for Harvard just two days ago.
The action was seen as retaliation for the university’s refusal to meet mounting demands from the administration, including curbing diversity initiatives, restricting student protests, appointing conservative faculty selected by the government, and surveilling international students.
Harvard President Alan Garber made it clear the university would not comply with these directives. In a statement to the Harvard community, Garber emphasized the institution’s autonomy:
“No government — regardless of political affiliation — should dictate what private universities can teach, who they admit or employ, or what they choose to research,” he said. “Harvard will not give up its independence or constitutional rights.”
Harvard has yet to respond publicly to Trump’s latest action. Legal experts suggest that if the IRS follows through, the university would have strong grounds to challenge the decision in court and would likely win.
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