After the university rejected his administration’s demands, President Donald Trump threatened to tax Harvard as a "political entity," following his move to freeze $2.2 billion in federal funding to the school. He doubled down on his ultimatums three weeks later, insisting that Harvard losing its tax-exempt status was "what they deserve."

Can Harvard stand up to Trump's once-in-a-generation attack on the American collegiate system? . | Credit: Erica Denhoff / Icon Sportswire via Even within the elite Ivy League, Harvard University stands out as the country's premier institution of higher education.