Obama blasts Trump administration’s ‘unlawful’ Harvard demands

Former President Barack Obama in a statement at the end of Monday praised Harvard University to reject President Donald Trump’s demands, as the university is facing freezing funding for the alleged inaction of anti -Semitism.

“Harvard has set an example of other institutions with a higher measurement-dismissing illegal and hand experiences to suffocate academic freedom, while taking specific steps to make sure all Harvard students can take advantage of an intellectual survey, a strict debate,”

Obama’s remark came after Harvard University said on Monday that he refused to comply with a series of Requested from the Trump Administration. On Monday night, the joint working group of the anti -Semitism administration announced a multiangrad freezing of funding for the university funding. (The University of Harvard said he was committed to fighting anti -Semitism and making changes to create a welcoming environment.)

Obama, a graduate of the Faculty of Law in Harvard, did not turn to the freezing of funding.

In the latest remarks at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, Obama had said he was concerned about the White House moves against universities.

“I do not think that what we have just witnessed in terms of economic policy and tariffs will be good for America, but this is a specific policy. I am deeper concerned with the federal government that threatens universities if they do not give up students who exercise their right to free speech,” Obama said.

He had also urged universities not to succumb to what he described as intimidation.

“If you are a university, you may need to understand: do we actually do things right? Have we actually violated our own values, our own code, have violated the law in some way? If you are not just intimidated, well, you must be able to say that we have this big gift,” Obama said.

“We will uphold what we believe in and pay our researchers for a while of this donation and give up the extra wing or fantastic high school – that we can slow down for a few years because academic freedom can be a little more important,” he added.

Trump on Tuesday morning called Harvard to lose his tax exemption status after the university stated that he would not comply with a series of Trump administration requests.

“Perhaps Harvard must lose his tax exemption status and be taxed as a political entity if he continues to press political, ideological and terroristly inspired/supporting” disease? “Remember that the status of tax exemption is completely dependent to act in public interest! “Trump wrote in a publication on his social media platform.

Harvard University is exempt from the federal income tax because it is an educational institution. He was also exempted from the state tax on income in Massachusetts, according to the university.

Kelsey Walsh, Peter Haralambus, Selina Wang and Arthur Jones II contributed to this report.