“Tough Guys” – How Trump Takes on Harvard and Drives Out International Students

“Tough guys. The Courts must let me do the job.”
With these words, posted Wednesday evening on Truth Social, President Donald Trump cemented a policy that not only challenges the rule of law but also shakes the very foundation of academic freedom. Just hours earlier, Trump had signed an executive order banning nearly all foreign students intending to study at Harvard University from entering the United States. The move marks the provisional climax of a months-long power struggle between the White House and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world.

A President Against Science

Trump justified the ban with “national security interests.” Harvard, in his assessment, has become an “unsuitable destination for foreign students and researchers.” The executive order states that the university persistently refuses to “clarify cases of misconduct involving foreign students” - an accusation Harvard firmly denies.

In reality, there is likely more at stake. The relationship between the Trump administration and Harvard has long been strained. The White House accuses the university of being a “liberal enclave” that tolerates antisemitism and systematically resists political interference. Harvard, on the other hand, sees its autonomy and academic freedom under threat - a position that has garnered broad support not only in academic circles.

Just last week, a federal court in Boston blocked the Department of Homeland Security’s attempt to bar international Harvard students from entering the country. Trump’s new order, however, draws on a different legal basis - and shows how determined the administration is to force academic independence under government control. The order applies immediately to all students seeking to enter the U.S. to study at Harvard after June 4, 2025. The only exception: those whose entry would “benefit the national interest” - a vague term leaving full discretion to federal authorities.

In addition, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is authorized to revoke existing visas of Harvard students. And: the entry ban is set to last for six months - with a possible extension after 90 days.

7,000 Students, 2.6 Billion Dollars, Countless Questions

Harvard itself is alarmed. In a court filing, the university’s director of immigration services, Maureen Martin, stated that an atmosphere of “profound fear, concern, and confusion” is spreading among international students. Many have already inquired about transferring to institutions outside the U.S. Harvard estimates that around a quarter of its entire student body comes from abroad - in some graduate programs, the proportion exceeds 50 percent.

The economic damage is also significant: the Trump administration has already cut more than 2.6 billion U.S. dollars in research funding and suspended all federal contracts with Harvard. Now it’s the students who are being targeted - deliberately and with a political message. The extent of the escalation is evident in a diplomatic cable sent by the U.S. Department of State to embassies worldwide: moving forward, social media profiles of all visa applicants planning to attend Harvard will be screened for “signs of antisemitism.” A vague, dangerous criterion - and another step toward political vetting.

The conflict over Harvard is not an isolated case. It exemplifies a government that casts universities as ideological enemies, severs international connections, and turns science into a political adversary. Meanwhile, the president’s tweet remains visible: “Tough guys. The Courts must let me do the job.” A sentence meant to sound like strength - and yet nothing more than a confession of authoritarian weakness.