Trump says foreign students welcome, slams Harvard for being ‘very anti-semitic'
US President Donald Trump, during a news conference in the Oval Office on Friday, said he supports international students attending US colleges, while clarifying he opposes those who are 'causing trouble.'
Singling out Harvard University—under scrutiny in both public opinion and court battles—Trump pointed out that nearly 30 per cent of its students are foreign.
'Our country has given $5 billion plus to Harvard over a short period of time,' he said. 'Nobody knew that. We found that out. I wouldn't say that was a [Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)] thing, but we found that out over a period of time, that was sort of a Trump thing.'
The remarks come amid a larger legal fight over Harvard's SEVP (Student and Exchange Visitor Program) certification, which allows the university to sponsor foreign students. Trump attributed the dispute to what he called the university's 'very anti-semitic' stance.
US District Judge Allison D. Burroughs on Thursday upheld an order blocking the Trump administration from revoking Harvard's SEVP certification.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed administration concerns, accusing Harvard of 'fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.'
'We're having it out with them, and let's see what happens,' Trump said. 'I think we have a very good, well, it's a very sad case. It's a case we win. We can't lose that case because we have the right to make grants. We're not going to make any grants like that.'
.@POTUS on international students: 'We want to have great students here. We just don't want students that are causing trouble.' pic.twitter.com/ZHU4HgGEai
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 30, 2025
Trump went on to criticise Harvard, contrasting it with other institutions: 'They've acted very well, and there are other institutions, too, that are acting, but Harvard's trying to be a big shot,' Trump said. 'And all that happens is every three days, we find another $100 million that was given.'
Two days earlier, Trump had claimed the administration discovered an additional $200 million in grants to Harvard.
'The money's given to them like gravy,' he said.
As an alternative, Trump advocated for a shift in funding priorities: 'I'd like to see the money go to trade schools where people learn how to fix motors and engines, where people learn how to build rocket ships,' he said. 'Because, you know, somebody has to build those rocket ships.'
'Yep,' Elon Musk, who stepped down from DOGE on Friday, chimed in from beside the president's desk.
'I'd like to see trade schools set up, because you could take $5 billion plus hundreds of billions more, which is what's spent, and you could have the greatest trade school system anywhere in the world,' Trump continued. 'That's what we need to build his rockets and robots and things that he's doing, and to build lots of other things.'
He shared a personal anecdote: 'I went to school with people that could fix the engine of a car better than anybody I've ever seen,' he said. 'Take it apart blindfolded. It's a very skilled job.'
'I'd like to see a lot of money going into trade schools. I've always felt that, and we probably found our pot of gold, and that's what's been wasted at places like Harvard.'
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