U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called the actions of Harvard University a “joke.” He stated that the institution should lose its access to government research funding after refusing to comply with external political oversight.

According to U.S. media reports, the Trump administration has formally requested the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. This move came just a day after Trump threatened to take such action.

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“Harvard can no longer be considered a respectable academic institution. It should not be included on any list of top universities or colleges in the world.”

He added, “Harvard is a joke. It teaches hate and ignorance. No more federal funding should be given to this institution.”

Harvard University, a historic and prestigious institution, has produced 162 Nobel Prize winners to date. However, Trump is furious with the university for refusing to comply with federal oversight concerning its admissions process, hiring practices, and political stance.

Other institutions, including Columbia University, have shown more willingness to accommodate the administration’s comparatively less extensive demands. The Trump administration has repeatedly accused top U.S. universities of being “excessively left-leaning.”

Harvard’s administration has outright rejected the pressure from the Trump administration. University President Alan Garber stated this week that Harvard is not open to any “discussion” about its independence or constitutional rights.

This week, Trump ordered the suspension of $2.2 billion in federal funding allocated to Harvard. On Tuesday, he declared that if Harvard doesn’t back down, it will lose its tax-exempt status as a nonprofit educational institution.

Both CNN and The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that, following Trump’s request, the IRS is now planning to take necessary actions.