Trump vs. Harvard: Kimmel, Colbert, and more late-night hosts reacts to funding feud
April 16, 2025
You didn’t think late-night hosts were just going to ignore President Donald Trump’s tiff with Harvard, did you?
Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Comedy Central’s Ronny Chieng all took aim Tuesday at the Trump administration’s decision to freeze $2.2 billion in federal grants because Harvard has refused to acquiesce to White House demands that it overhaul its hiring, admissions, and curriculum.
“And who better to determine what colleges should and should not be doing than the man who had to shell out $25 million in penalties for running a fraudulent university he named after himself?” said Kimmel. (It seems like ancient history, but in 2018 a federal judge approved a $25 million settlement with students who claimed they were duped by Trump and his defunct Trump University, which promised to share his “secrets of success.”)
Kimmel, who’s been withering in his critiques of Trump 2.0, said he’s hopeful that the alma mater of eight US presidents can prevail over a former reality TV star.
“My money’s on Harvard,” Kimmel said. “I grew up in the ’80s — I’ve seen ‘Revenge of the Nerds.’ I know who wins these things.”
“We finally found a force more powerful than Trump’s hatred: Harvard’s love of sending rejection letters,” said Chieng. “But, look, I don’t usually root for Harvard, because they’re Harvard. They’ve got everything. It’s like rooting for Jeff Bezos to win the lottery.”
Colbert said Harvard has withstood the test of time — a lot of time.
“They’ve been around for way longer than this country,” he said. “In fact, Harvard was founded in 1636. Of course, back then the only majors they offered were Latin Grammar, Intro to Leechcraft, and Witch Kindling.”
Colbert also took a moment to acknowledge that Tuesday — April 15 — was the day Americans pay their taxes (or at least they’re supposed to).
“Folks, as I mentioned before, it’s Tax Day or, as billionaires call it, ‘What?’” said Colbert.
Mark Shanahan can be reached at mark.shanahan@globe.com. Follow him @MarkAShanahan.
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