Trump seeks $1 billion from Harvard University in damages

US President Donald Trump said late Monday that his administration is pursuing $1 billion in damages from Harvard University, rejecting a report that said the White House had dropped its demand for a $200 million payment to settle its dispute with the educational institution.

In a Truth Social post Trump accused Harvard of "feeding a lot of nonsense" to The New York Times.

"We are now seeking One Billion Dollars in damages, and want nothing further to do, into the future, with Harvard University," he wrote, without specifying what harms the school had caused. He later said the New York Times report was "completely wrong" and demanded a correction.

Harvard did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

According to the newspaper, the White House's concession came amid sagging approval ratings for Trump, as he faces outrage over immigration enforcement tactics and the shooting deaths of two US citizens by federal agents in Minnesota.

The Trump administration has pursued a broader effort to use federal funding to push changes at Harvard and other universities, arguing they are affected by "radical left" ideology.

It has cancelled hundreds of grants for Harvard researchers, saying the university failed to do enough to address harassment of students, moves that prompted Harvard to sue the US government.

Several other Ivy League schools, including Columbia University and Brown University, have reached agreements with the administration and accepted certain government demands.