President Trump said Tuesday that his administration is close to finalizing an agreement that would end its monthslong standoff with Harvard University — a statement that Harvard did not confirm, and that Trump’s administration appeared to walk back shortly afterwards.
“I guess we reached a deal with Harvard today,” Trump said during a signing ceremony for unrelated executive orders at the White House Tuesday afternoon. “All you have to do is paper it, right Linda?” he added, speaking to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, who responded “Yes sir.”
In response to a question from a reporter, Trump said that Harvard would be paying $500 million to go toward running a series of trade schools. He then hedged his previous statements, clarifying that a deal had not yet been finalized, but that the parties were close.
“They’re going to be teaching people how to do AI and lots of other things. Engines, lots of things,” Trump said. “It’s a big investment in trade schools, done by very smart people, and then their sins are forgiven. So we have a good chance of getting that closed.”
But the Department of Education, which has been a key part of the standoff with Harvard issued a statement later Tuesday evening that was notably less certain about the prospect of a deal.
“The administration is actively working toward a deal with Harvard that holds them accountable for egregious civil rights violations and discrimination on campus while restoring generous taxpayer dollar support to the institution,” said Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the education department. “The administration continues to work aggressively on a deal that is in the best interest of the American people.”
A White House spokesperson, meanwhile, said to “stay tuned for further announcements!”
Spokespeople for Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This isn’t the first time Trump has hinted that a deal is close during the extended dispute.
In June, Trump wrote on Truth Social that a “‘mindbogglingly’ HISTORIC” deal was close. That post, more than three months ago, also came shortly after Harvard scored a court win, when a judge allowed the school to host international students as the Trump administration attempted to bar them.
Talks between the Harvard and the White House to restore Harvard’s funding and resolve a number of other federal investigations resumed over the summer but had stalled in recent weeks.
Harvard earlier this month scored a legal win when a judge in federal court in Boston ruled the Trump administration had used allegations of antisemitism as a “smokescreen” for withholding federal dollars and ordered the federal government to resume Harvard’s funding.
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights on Monday formally recommended to bar Harvard from receiving any federal funds.
Two of Harvard’s Ivy League peers, Columbia University and Brown University, earlier this year agreed to making payments to resolve their own funding freezes and investigations from the government: Columbia agreed to make a $200 million payment directly to the government, while Brown agreed to invest $50 million in Rhode Island work force programs.
But Trump has for months indicated he wanted Harvard, the richest and most well-known university in the nation, to pay more. During a Cabinet meeting in August, Trump said he wanted Harvard to commit to paying at least $500 million to end the government’s funding freeze and resolve a number of other federal investigations.
Trump officials have also supported the idea of implementing some kind of external enforcement, such as an independent monitor — a measure Columbia agreed to but that Harvard has reportedly consistently opposed.
Tal Kopan of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Aidan Ryan can be reached at aidan.ryan@globe.com. Follow him @aidanfitzryan. Anjali Huynh can be reached at anjali.huynh@globe.com.