Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump is putting America’s bloated and biased institutions on notice, calling for a hard look at the tax-exempt status of liberal organizations and elite universities that, he says, are abusing public trust and taxpayer generosity.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, President Trump zeroed in on Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)—a liberal watchdog group that has spent years attacking his administration with politically motivated lawsuits and investigations.
“The only charity they’ve shown is going after Donald Trump,” the President said. “We’re looking at that. We’re looking at a lot of things.”
At the top of the list is Harvard University, which Trump blasted as “a disgrace” over its response to rising antisemitism on campus. The President noted that federal lawyers have reviewed the possibility of revoking Harvard’s tax-free status, stating:
“Tax-exempt status is a privilege. And it’s been abused—not just by Harvard, but by Columbia, Princeton, and others.”
According to The Washington Post, officials from the Treasury Department submitted a formal request to the IRS’s top legal counsel to begin reviewing Harvard’s status. This comes after the Ivy League school defied the administration’s demands to reform discriminatory hiring and admissions practices—and amid reports that over $2.2 billion in federal funding has already been frozen.
Defending Taxpayer Dollars and American Values
Trump’s push is being hailed by many conservatives as a long-overdue stand against government waste, left-wing indoctrination, and the weaponization of nonprofit laws.
“These institutions have taken advantage of the American taxpayer while turning their backs on free speech, religious values, and Jewish students,” one Republican lawmaker commented.
Meanwhile, Harvard is pushing back. A university spokesperson claimed that revoking its nonprofit status would have “grave consequences for higher education,” though critics argue the real danger is in allowing billion-dollar institutions to operate without accountability.
CREW, in a defensive statement, said it works to promote “transparent government,” despite its long history of targeting Trump and other conservatives while turning a blind eye to Democrat corruption.
President Trump made it clear that legal teams are still reviewing the matter, but his message was direct:
“If you’re abusing your nonprofit status to push a political agenda, your free ride is over.”