Trump and Harvard Move to Resolve Conflict... "Historic Agreement Possible Next Week"

"Harvard Has Acted Appropriately During Negotiations"

There are growing expectations that the tension between U.S. President Donald Trump and the prestigious Harvard University over issues such as the "eradication of anti-Semitism on university campuses" will ease significantly.

On the 27th of last month, students held a protest on the Harvard University campus in the United States to support and show solidarity with international students. The Trump administration imposed restrictions on the selection of international students, citing reasons such as Harvard's inadequate response to anti-Semitism on campus. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

On the 20th (local time), President Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, "Many people are curious about Harvard and what is going on, and about the large-scale inappropriate conduct that we have been addressing and seeking solutions for." He added, "We have been working closely with Harvard, and there is a very high possibility that an agreement will be announced sometime next week."

He continued, "They (Harvard) have acted in an extremely appropriate manner during the negotiation process and have shown a willingness to do the right thing," and claimed, "If an agreement is reached based on the standards currently under discussion, it will be 'historic' to an unbelievable degree and will be very beneficial to our country."

Previously, immediately after the start of his second administration, President Trump demanded that U.S. universities implement policy changes on campus, citing the eradication of anti-Semitism and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) as justifications. Analysts interpreted this as an effort to focus attacks on universities with strong progressive leanings, viewing them as the front lines of the "culture war."

However, when Harvard opposed these measures, citing "infringement on academic and institutional autonomy," the federal government responded by mobilizing various administrative actions to apply comprehensive pressure. For example, it froze astronomical amounts of funding and contracts with the federal government, and pointed out the excessive number of international students, even revoking the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification.

Most recently, an executive order was issued to halt and revoke visas for Harvard's international students, but the court issued a temporary restraining order, stating that "there is a risk of immediate and irreparable harm before all parties have an opportunity to be heard." As a result, the admission and stay of Harvard's international students were protected.

In response to this pressure, Harvard filed a series of lawsuits and achieved some success in certain cases. However, it appears that the university has ultimately taken a step back and entered into negotiations with the Trump administration.