Trump repeats legally dubious threat to ‘take away’ Harvard’s tax-exempt status

<p>Federal law prohibits president from directing or influencing the IRS to investigate or audit an organization</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/may/02/donald-trump-tariffs-immigration-courts-pbs-npr-media-pete-hegseth-us-politics-live-updates">US politics live – latest updates</a></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump">Donald Trump</a> said again on Friday that he would be “taking away” Harvard’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/18/trump-harvard-irs-tax-status">tax-exempt status</a> as a non-profit in a legally questionable move that escalates his ongoing feud with the elite university.</p><p>“We are going to be taking away <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/harvard-university">Harvard’s</a> Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!” Trump wrote on Truth Social in a more direct message than a post in April when he said “perhaps” the college should lose its tax-exempt status.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/02/trump-harvard-tax-exempt-status">Continue reading...</a>