Trump Slams Harvard Over 'Free' Education for Foreign Students Amid Visa Clash

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to lambast Harvard University, claiming that foreign countries pay "nothing" for their students’ education at top U.S. institutions. This salvo comes amid a heated clash between the Trump administration and Harvard over a policy threatening the university’s ability to enroll international students.

Trump zeroed in on Harvard’s student body, noting that nearly 31% are international students from nations he described as "not always friendly" to the U.S. He demanded transparency, insisting Harvard disclose the names and countries of these students, given the billions in federal funding the university receives. "Harvard’s sitting on $52 billion. Use it, and stop leaning on taxpayers!" he wrote.

The dispute escalated after a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration’s move to cancel Harvard’s student visa program, following a lawsuit from the university. Harvard argues the policy jeopardizes more than 7,000 visa holders—nearly a quarter of its students—and violates constitutional protections, including the First Amendment and Due Process Clause. The university called the policy a retaliatory strike against its refusal to bend to government demands over its governance and curriculum.

The administration’s push stems from the Department of Homeland Security’s demand for extensive records, including footage of protests involving international students and their disciplinary histories. Harvard slammed these requests as "pernicious" and a break from decades of established practice, accusing the government of upending students’ lives without justification.

At least a dozen Harvard students have lost their visas over campus protest activities, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio boasting that thousands more could face revocation. The administration has also frozen nearly $3 billion in federal research funding, citing Harvard’s alleged failure to address campus antisemitism and its continued diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.