Former U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his criticism of Harvard University, proposing a 15% cap on foreign student admissions and accusing the institution of harboring “troublemakers” from radicalized regions. In a speech laced with incendiary rhetoric, Trump tied foreign student enrollment to national security risks, claiming, “We don’t want to see shopping centres explode.”
Trump took aim at the Ivy League school’s international student population, which he claimed stands at nearly 31%, arguing that the number is disproportionately high and displaces qualified American applicants. “We have people that want to go to Harvard and other schools but they can’t get in because we have foreign students there,” he said.
“Harvard should cap that number around 15 percent,” he continued. “I want to make sure foreign students are people who can love our country. Many of those students were troublemakers caused by the radical left.”
Trump also reiterated his administration’s demand that Harvard hand over conduct records for all its international students to verify their backgrounds, particularly whether they pose any threat. “We want to know where those students come from, whether they are troublemakers,” he said, warning that many originate from “very radicalised” regions.
The former president did not stop at immigration concerns. He also accused Harvard of being “totally anti-Semitic” and suggested federal funding given to elite universities could be redirected to create trade schools. “Harvard has been a disaster. They’ve taken $5 billion-plus… Every time they fight, they lose another $250 million,” Trump claimed, proposing that those funds be used to create vocational institutions that could “teach people how to build AI.”
Trump’s remarks come amid a broader feud between his political allies and elite educational institutions over free speech, diversity initiatives, and foreign influence. His previous administration even attempted to revoke Harvard’s certification in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which allows it to host international students. That order was blocked by a federal judge after Harvard filed a legal challenge, calling the decision “retaliatory and unlawful.”
Harvard, for its part, has refused to comply with certain federal demands, including the release of full conduct records and the imposition of ideological audits. The university has argued in court that these moves amount to political retaliation and violate both academic freedom and student privacy.
Court filings reviewed by CNN indicate that international students make up about 25% of Harvard’s student body, not 31% as Trump claimed. Nonetheless, the controversy has re-energized Trump’s political narrative around immigration, national security, and higher education as he ramps up his 2024 campaign.
