US President Donald Trump has announced plans to seek one billion dollars in damages from Harvard University, escalating his administration’s long-running dispute with the institution.

The move followed reports that the White House had stepped back from an earlier demand for a 200-million-dollar settlement during talks with the university.

President Trump, reacting on his Truth Social platform, accused Harvard of misleading the New York Times and alleged the university was involved in serious illegal actions, without providing specific details.

The President Trump administration has accused Harvard of failing to adequately address antisemitism during pro-Palestinian protests, an allegation the university has denied.

The dispute intensified after the administration revoked about two billion dollars in research funding last year, a decision later overturned by a federal court, which ruled that the cuts violated Harvard’s free speech rights.

While negotiations had been ongoing to restore funding, Trump said the government no longer wished to engage with the university.

Similar disputes with other Ivy League institutions, including Columbia, Penn and Brown, were resolved through settlements to preserve federal funding.