Harvard Is Said to Be Open to Spending Up to $500 Million to Resolve Trump Dispute

[demmiblue]

Harvard University has signaled a willingness to meet the Trump administration’s demand to spend as much as $500 million to end its dispute with the White House as talks between the two sides intensify, four people familiar with the negotiations said.

According to one of the people, Harvard is reluctant to directly pay the federal government, but negotiators are still discussing the exact financial terms.

The sum sought by the government is more than twice as much as the $200 million fine that Columbia University said it would pay when it settled its clash with the White House last week. It would also satisfy President Trump’s private demands that Harvard should pay far more than Columbia. The people who described the talks and the dynamics surrounding them spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential negotiations.

Although the two sides have made progress toward a deal, Harvard is also skeptical of Columbia’s agreement to allow an outside monitor oversee its sweeping arrangement with the government. Harvard officials have signaled that such a requirement for its own settlement could be a redline as a potential infringement on the university’s academic freedom.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/us/politics/trump-harvard-payment.html

Look, if you're a world-renowned university, and a fascist pedophile offers you a chance to extort you out of 0,000,000, that's a deal you have to take.

— Max Berger (@maxberger.bsky.social) 2025-07-28T22:15:24.423Z

[Irish_Dem]

1. It is extortion plain and simple. How much of this goes into Trump's pocket?

[Celerity]

2. Forbes will have to update Trump's net worth after he pockets half of the extortion dosh

[Deuxcents]

3. Say it isn't so, Harvard

[newdeal2]

9. It be so

Everyone knows it’s wrong but corruption is now the price of business. We are heading to a dark place.

[MichMan]

4. Tell them to fuck off

Don't give them a dime

[marble falls]

5. Fuck Harvard.

[Johonny]

6. I assume we will be paying ten times this in

Reparations back to these schools in the future . . .

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Pure blackmail, nothing more.

Shouldn't someone create a law against that ?

[Initech]

8. The only reason Trump has a grudge with these universities is because he regularly speaks to Charlie Kirk.

Who is the devil on his shoulder, and there's no angel on Trump's shoulder. Charlie Kirk needs to be permanently banned from the White House.

[Autumn]

10. I would be open to that school going broke and see it's doors closed.

It is not fit to educate intelligent minds.