Ken Langone, co-founder of The Home Depot, has returned to supporting President Donald Trump after previously criticizing his tariffs, The New York Post reported. Now, the billionaire GOP donor is singing Trump's praises and is optimistic about the direction of the country.
Langone appeared on CNBC's Squawk Box on Tuesday. The chairman of the NYU Langone Health board of trustees said Trump was not happy with him after he called Trump's tariffs "bullsh---" in April.
Prior to the election, Langone said he worried that Trump would "engage in retribution" if he retook the White House. Langone is backing down on all of it and says Trump's "big, beautiful" bill will "trigger significant economic growth, that we might see tax revenues going up from the profitability."
Like many Republicans who were skeptical that Trump could pull out a victory after 2020, Langone openly criticized him. Now appears that the president’s success is winning him over.
“If I tell you how bullish I was, you wouldn't believe it. I have never been more excited about the future of America than I am right now, right this moment, for a lot of reasons,” Langone told hosts Joe Kernen, Becky Quick, and Andrew Ross Sorkin.
“Number one. Like it or not, this guy is getting things done,” the 89-year-old billionaire said.
Langone said that Trump was upset by comments he makes about the president using the White House to get back at his enemies. “I'm happy to say I'm comfortable he's not doing that,” Langone said.
“He's acting presidential. I'm impressed with the people he's got around him,” Langone noted, including Kevin Warsh, former Federal Reserve Board of Governors of the United States, who backs the Trump agenda.
Many of the dire predictions made about the Trump agenda have failed to materialize. In fact, the markets have been on the upswing even amid Trump’s sweeping Liberation Day tariffs.
“I was worried about inflation and I was worried about the deficit. I think there's a lot of merit to the notion that it's going to trigger such significant economic growth, that we might see tax revenues going up through the profitability bracket,” Langone predicted.
“And the other last thing is you can't keep America down. Don't forget that we're the greatest country on earth, and we'll always will be,” Langone said before mentioning he would be turning 90 in September.
Aside from the positive economic news, Langone also praised Trump for reportedly striking Iran’s nuclear program and knocking it out. He said it signaled to the world “that America’s here and when our interests are at risk we’re going to do something about it.”
Trump is by no means a perfect leader, but Langone is correct that he’s moving America in the right direction. It was a bold move for him to criticize Trump before the election, but it’s an even more courageous thing to publicly admit he was wrong in that.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired Maurene Comey from her job at the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, Breitbart reported. The daughter of former FBI Director James Comey previously prosecuted accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged accomplice, Gislaine Maxwell.
Politico broke the news that she was let go, but noted that "the reason for her firing was not immediately clear." In fact, Breitbart couldn't get a return call for comment from the Department of Justice of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, where Maurene Comey was employed.
In addition to the Epstein case, Maurene Comey was also the prosecutor for the case against Sean "Diddy" Combs. The disgraced rap mogul was accused of sex trafficking and racketeering, but was only convicted of lesser crimes.
🚨 BREAKING: Attorney General Pam Bondi fires Maurene Comey from her job as top DOJ Manhattan prosecutor, the daughter of James Comey, per POLITICO.
She was responsible for prosecuting Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. pic.twitter.com/MtnbdiZMC7
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 16, 2025
With so little information available about the circumstances of her firing, rumors abound about the possibilities. One of those speculating is noted internet commentator and investigative journalist Laura Loomer.
Loomer posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday with her theory about the firing. She said the move "came 2 months after" Bondi was subjected to a "pressure campaign" to fire Maurene Comey and her husband.
"Maurene Comey’s husband is Lucas Issacharoff," Loomer noted. "As I previously reported, he works at the current Trump DOJ, despite a long history of being a Trump hater. He is the Assistant U.S. Attorney is SDNY, working in the Civil Division since 2019," Lomer noted.
"No word yet on whether or not he was also fired today, but he should be!" she added. Loomer celebrated this as a "+1" move for Bondi.
While it's not known if there's any connection, it's curious that the FBI recently launched a probe into the Russia collusion hoax. At the center of that scandal were James Comey and CIA Director John Brennan.
The shakeup comes as President Donald Trump and his administration face criticism for suddenly downplaying the case against the late Jeffrey Epstein. According to Fox News, Trump had contradicted Bondi's earlier promises by presenting Epstein's as old news after the case was closed without the promised release of the files.
"He's dead for a long time. He was never a big factor in terms of life," Trump said Tuesday when asked by reporters what he thought about the fact that there were still calls to release the files.
"I don't understand what the interest or what the fascination is. I really don't, and the credible information's been given," Trump added.
"It's pretty boring stuff. It's sordid, but it's boring." Trump simply claimed. He has been supportive of Bondi despite contradicting her earlier promises, but it's unknown whether firing Maurene Comey was part of this effort to move on from Epstein.
Some things are happening in the Trump administration that don't make sense at the moment. However, Trump still has the support of his base and a mandate in office, and hopefully, both will bolster his ability to continue implementing his original agenda.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration may cut thousands of employees from the Department of Health and Human Services, CNN reported. The employees were notified by email on Monday that it was their last day on the job.
President Donald Trump's HHS, under the guidance of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., initially notified affected employees throughout its agencies on April 1. However, a court battle ensued but eventually ended at the U.S. Supreme Court last week.
On July 8, the high court ruled in favor of the HHS and said it "is now permitted to move forward with a portion of its [reduction in force]." The decision was then relayed to workers who were let go as originally planned before the challenge.
"You are hereby notified that you are officially separated from HHS at the close of business on July 14, 2025. Thank you for your service to the American people," Monday's email informed them.
The plan to eliminate 20,000 HHS employees was announced on March 27 and made Democrats apoplectic. The employees would be cut from agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration.
"This will be a painful period for HHS as we downsize from 82,000 workers to 62,000," Kennedy said when announcing the plan. "But we are keenly focused on paring down the number of administrators while increasing the number of scientists and frontline health providers."
🚨 RFK JR ANNOUNCES MAJOR CUTS TO HHS: “THIS WILL BE PAINFUL”
20,000 HHS workers are about to get the boot:
“This will be a painful period for HHS as we downsize from 82,000 workers to 62,000,” he noted.
“But we are keenly focused on pairing down the number of… pic.twitter.com/OE6oJaYDK3
— Lauren Lee (@sheislaurenlee) March 27, 2025
While some of those have been restored to employment, Monday's decision impacts thousands of employees, according to a spokesperson for the HHS. However, this may not be the final word, even for all those who were cut, as a portion of employees are still protected under New York v. Kennedy, not addressed in Monday's ruling.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon celebrated the decision that will allow the administration to proceed with its stated goals. "HHS previously announced our plans to transform this department to Make America Healthy Again and we intend to do just that," Nixon told CNN in an email statement.
The Trump administration may also proceed with layoffs at the Department of Education thanks to another Supreme Court ruling Monday. Just two hours after the high court decision, the administration offered an Aug. 1 termination date to some 1,400 employees.
National Education Association President Becky Pringle bristled at this move, Fox News reported. "Everyone who cares about America’s students and public schools should be appalled by the Supreme Court’s premature intervention in this case today, which stays preliminary relief ordered by the lower courts," Pringle claimed.
"Today’s decision does not resolve the underlying merits of Trump’s unlawful plan to eliminate the Department of Education," she added. Pringle promised a fight, which Trump is undoubtedly ready for, even as Democrats rage against him.
"Parents, educators, and community leaders won’t be silent as Trump and his allies take a wrecking ball to public schools and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America. We will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize until all students have the opportunity to attend the well-resourced public schools where they can thrive," Pringle said.
The federal government is bloated and inefficient, and it's time for that to change. These workers don't want to lose their taxpayer-funded, cushy jobs, but it's well past time to address this issue, and Trump is eager to fulfill his promise to get it done.
Former President Joe Biden has admitted that he did not personally sign the many pardons granted to criminals as he was leaving office, Breitbart reported. Instead, Biden gave his staff the criteria for issuing them and authorized them to use an autopen.
Biden made this admission to The New York Times, which confirmed what many had feared. At least three of the four large batches of pardons signed in the last days of his administration involved whole categories of criminals whom he did not individually vet and sign off on.
"BOMBSHELL: The NYT quietly confirms Biden aides used the autopen to issue executive actions WITHOUT a clear sign he even approved them. This is EXACTLY why we're investigating," the House Oversight Committee shared on X, formerly Twitter. "We must know WHO was calling the shots in the West Wing. The 5th will not help them cover up the BIGGEST political scandal in history."
🚨 BOMBSHELL: The NYT quietly confirms Biden aides used the autopen to issue executive actions WITHOUT a clear sign he even approved them.
This is EXACTLY why we're investigating. We must know WHO was calling the shots in the West Wing.
The 5th will not help them cover up the… pic.twitter.com/lWkDz5ufMR
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) July 14, 2025
The use of the autopen is particularly controversial, given that Biden delegated his responsibility to his underlings. The Times notes that "the Bureau of Prisons kept providing additional information about specific inmates, resulting in small changes to the list" of prisoners to be pardoned.
"Rather than ask Mr. Biden to keep signing revised versions, his staff waited and then ran the final version through the autopen, which they saw as a routine procedure, the aide said," the Times reported. Use of the autopen was delegated to then-White House staff secretary Stefanie Feldman.
She was reportedly carrying out Biden's wishes, as made known in meetings with his top advisers, including White House Counsel Ed Siskel and Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients. They would, in turn, tell their assistants, who would compile lists and send them to Feldman.
The email chain provided Feldman with cover to make the pardons, which sometimes came on the spur of the moment. On January 19, which was Biden's last full day in office, Zients gave the okay for a batch just minutes after receiving one of those emails.
"…Mr. Zients hit ‘reply all’ and wrote, ‘I approve the use of the autopen for the execution of all of the following pardons,'" the Times said of one of the emails. Although Biden ostensibly made these decisions, the involvement of staffers has opened the door to challenges to these pardons.
As Fox News reported, this uncertainty has raised questions about the pardon of Anthony Fauci. The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and medical adviser to Biden received a blanket pardon that may have been autopen-signed.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) believes this is grounds for reopening his probe into Fauci's role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul has accused him of lying to Congress about his involvement in the gain-of-function research funding that may have contributed to the creation of the virus.
"Today I will reissue my criminal referral of Anthony Fauci to Trump DOJ," Paul said Monday on X. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has requested that Attorney General Pam Bondi launch a probe into the use of an autopen, in addition to those already underway in the House and Senate.
With so many reports about Biden's mental decline finally coming out, the use of an autopen becomes particularly relevant. "I guarantee you he knew nothing about what he was signing, I guarantee you," Trump said.
Many suspected that Biden was experiencing cognitive difficulties for years. Now, some are finally admitting that these autopen signatures need to be scrutinized and perhaps discarded if Biden wasn't fully aware and in control of the decisions for whatever reason.
Naturally, a president wouldn't want people working under him who investigated him and his allies, so it's no surprise that President Donald Trump continues to purge DOJ staff members who did so under the previous administration.
More than 20 people who worked on then-Special Counsel Jack Smith's two cases against Trump were the latest to be canned this week, and a source in the administration said that 15 more people could be fired in the near future.
With around 15 previous firings, the total could reach 50 until it's all said and done.
Smith is long gone, and anyone who worked under him is soon to follow.
Sources said that among those fired in this wave were paralegals, finance and support staff, as well as the final two prosecutors in North Carolina and Florida.
The DOJ's "weaponization working group" established by Attorney General Pam Bondi right after she was confirmed to the positon identified the employees who were fired.
The working group was tasked with distinguishing "improper investigative tactics and unethical prosecutions" from "good faith actions by federal employees simply following orders."
One of the employees fired, public affairs specialist Patty Hartman, complained about the so-called retribution behind the firings to CBS in an interview.
"The rules don't exist anymore," Hartman said. "There used to be a line, used to be a very distinct separation between the White House and the Department of Justice, because one should not interfere with the work of the other. That line is very definitely gone."
Hartman may be a little off on her timeline for when the "retribution" started in Washington.
Trump was most definitely punished for daring to win office as a political outsider, threatening the status quo and bringing about change that a lot of people--even some Republicans--did not want.
The line she's talking about was pretty much destroyed when the DOJ under former President Joe Biden decided to use its power to prosecute a presidential candidate and nominee on specious charges that didn't end up holding water.
Why would Trump let people stay in his administration who think what was done to him is justice?
His actions make perfect sense and no one should have expected anything different.
The news that Zohran Mamdani emerged victorious in the recent Democratic Party primary for the New York City mayoral race has sent shockwaves through the political world, with his rise to prominence serving as case study in the internal struggles currently plaguing the left.
Weighing in on Mamdani’s candidacy this week was Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who blasted the self-avowed socialist seeking the Big Apple’s top job, declaring him “not even a Democrat” and noting that he does not agree with “virtually any” of the policies he has espoused, as the New York Post reports.
Never one to feel bound by party-line rhetoric, Fetterman let loose on Mamdani in remarks made to Fox News.
He declared, “Everything that I’ve read on him, I don’t really agree with virtually any of it, politically.”
The Pennsylvania lawmaker did not stop there, adding, “That’s just where I’m at as a Democrat. He’s not even a Democrat, honestly.”
Perhaps Fetterman was referring to Mamdani’s many policy initiatives that smack more of socialism than of anything for which traditional Democrats would advocate, with the upstart candidate having explicitly suggested that government should “seize the means of production.”
Government-run grocery stores, a freeze on rent-stabilized apartments, and fare-free buses are just a few of Mamdani’s platform issues that have given pause even to liberals in New York who are loath to support anyone but the winner of the Democratic Party primary.
As evidence of the rift on the left, particularly regarding Mamdani’s candidacy, one need only look to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ recent remarks on the subject.
Jeffries was asked for his take on Mamdani’s links to anti-Israel organizations and his unwillingness to denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which has long been likened to violent antisemitism.
Pressed by ABC’s Jonathan Karl, Jeffries all but admitted that the candidate’s positions could well be problematic, saying, “Globalizing the intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrase. He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.”
Having yet to endorse his party’s candidate in the mayoral race, Jeffries added, “With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.”
In what might be interpreted as an attempt to smooth over the obvious divisions inside the party, Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin recently downplayed Mamdani’s refusal to denounce the incendiary language, instead suggesting there is room for everyone in the “big tent.”
“You win by bringing people into your coalition. We have conservative-Democrats, we have centrist-Democrats, we have labor-progressives like me, and we have this new brand of Democrat which is the leftist,” he continued.
But to most observers, it is far from clear that embracing Marxist ideologies such as those espoused by Mamdani could ever be a winning strategy in New York City, let alone the country as a whole.
President Donald Trump is granting "Total Authorization" for self-defense by any means necessary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, Fox News reported. This comes after agents were attacked while carrying out a mission.
Agents conducted an immigration raid at Glass House Farms in California on Thursday. They were met with violence from protesters directed at enforcement officials on the legally operated cannabis farm.
Authorities were forced to use tear gas to quell the uprising. Trump did not take kindly to this action and took to his Truth Social on Friday to spell out how he would empower agents to fight back in the future.
The president made his post while returning from viewing flood damage in Texas, where a deluge killed at least 12o people. Trump addressed the situation after he "watched in disbelief as THUGS were violently throwing rocks and bricks at ICE Officers while they were moving down a roadway in their car and/or official vehicle," Trump wrote.
"Tremendous damage was done to these brand new vehicles. I know for a fact that these Officers are having a hard time with allowing this to happen in that it shows such total disrespect for LAW AND ORDER," Trump continued.
He took action right away. "Therefore, I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, and Border Czar, Tom Homan, to instruct all ICE, Homeland Security, or any other Law Enforcement Officer who is on the receiving end of thrown rocks, bricks, or any other form of assault, to stop their car, and arrest these SLIMEBALLS, using whatever means is necessary to do so," Trump said.
"I am giving Total Authorization for ICE to protect itself, just like they protect the Public. I never want to see a car carrying a Law Enforcement Officer attacked again!" Trump asserted.
"AUTHORIZATION IMMEDIATELY GRANTED FOR ARREST AND INCARCERATION. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" the president concluded forcefully.
The inciting incident for Trump's edict came on Thursday after protesters threw rocks at agents who were conducting official business. The farms were employing at least 10 illegal-alien juveniles illegally working for the marijuana growers, the New York Post reported.
Homan blamed Democrats for pushing the narrative that these are fascist crackdowns rather than the legitimate work of the federal government. "What happened in California is just another example of protesters becoming criminals, and they’ve been emboldened by even members of Congress who compare ICE to Nazis and racists and terrorists," Homan said Friday on Fox & Friends.
"I said months ago, it’s going to end up with a loss of life — and we had one the other day in Texas, and it’s not over," Homan added. On Monday, a gunman shot at border patrol agents as they began their workday.
Some reports also say that an anti-ICE protester fired into the crowd during the clash on Thursday. Democrats have been whipping people into a frenzy against these lawful raids, and it appears it's beginning to create violence and chaos.
This is a dangerous situation for all involved, but thankfully, Trump has empowered agents to protect themselves from it. It appears Trump has learned his lesson since his first term, and hopefully, protesters will think twice before hurting federal agents doing their jobs.
An appeals court has overturned the conviction of Douglass Mackey, who was jailed after sharing memes against Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election, Fox News reported. The pro-Trump poster was convicted of conspiracy charges and sentenced to seven months in federal prison in 2023.
Mackey, who called himself an internet "troll" as he posted under the handle "Ricky Vaughn," had a moderately successful Twitter account with nearly 58,000 followers. He was a fan of Donald Trump, the GOP candidate at the time, and posted one meme telling prospective Clinton voters to cast their votes by text.
He was sentenced to federal prison by a Brooklyn jury for this, which many believed was outrageously unfair. On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit agreed and reversed that verdict, finding that "no rational jury" should have convicted him.
The three-judge panel unanimously ruled that the misleading memes did not constitute the crime of conspiracy for which he was convicted and jailed. "The jury’s verdict and the resulting judgment of conviction must be set aside," wrote Chief Judge Debra Ann Livingston.
According to the New York Post, Mackey's online activity consisted of sharing memes, some of them misleading people about when and where to vote. He would sometimes tailor them to specific voting blocs, but they were only seen by a relatively small number of users.
Mackey also would sometimes enter chat rooms and attempt to persuade others to vote for Trump. After reviewing the lower court's ruling, the appeals court found that convicting the 36-year-old for this activity was incorrect, especially on the conspiracy angle.
"The mere fact that Mackey posted the memes, even assuming that he did so with the intent to injure other citizens in the exercise of their right to vote, is not enough, standing alone, to prove a violation of [federal law]. The government was obligated to show that Mackey knowingly entered into an agreement with other people to pursue that objective," Livingston wrote.
"This, the government failed to do," she added. Not only was the premise faulty, but the evidence they presented failed to support the conviction, aside from the memes Mackey shared.
The judge wrote that evidence "consisted of exchanges among the participants in several private Twitter message groups — exchanges the government argued showed the intent of the participants to interfere with others’ exercise of their right to vote," Livingston wrote. "Yet the government failed to offer sufficient evidence that Mackey even viewed — let alone participated in — any of these exchanges," she added.
Many Trump supporters agreed that the appeals court was correct to overturn the conviction in light of the evidence, or rather, lack thereof. Mackey celebrated the victory with a "HALLELUJAH!" in a post to X, formerly Twitter on Wednesday.
"Now we sue," Mackey promised. Others who weighed in on social media pointed out how wrong the government got this in the first place, including attorney and podcaster Eric Matheny.
"Douglass Mackey went to prison for posting (not even creating) a Hillary meme in 2016. It was one of the greatest injustices of the last 10 years. This is a victory, but it can never give him back the time and quality of life the US government stole from him," Matheny wrote.
Douglass Mackey went to prison for posting (not even creating) a Hillary meme in 2016.
It was one of the greatest injustices of the last 10 years.
This is a victory, but it can never give him back the time and quality of life the US government stole from him. pic.twitter.com/NHOIeNLwZh
— Eric Matheny 🎙️ (@ericmmatheny) July 9, 2025
Clinton and her minions were sore losers and are no doubt furious that Mackey has won the day. It's a very good thing that this wrong was righted, but it never should have happened in the first place.
Isra Hirsi, daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), is unemployed following graduation from Columbia University, where she was arrested for participating in a tent city protest against Israel, Breitbart reported. The 22-year-old is now selling used apparel online to make ends meet.
In a since-expired Instagram Story, Hirsi shared with her more than 80,000 followers that she has been selling her clothing castoffs on the Depop app. "I am now selling on [Depop]!! Check out if u wish," Hirsi wrote.
She was hawking a pair of Dr. Martens boots, some skirts, and her "beloved multicolored striped cardigan." Perhaps this is the only way Hirsi, who graduated from the Ivy League institution in May, can make a living these days.
Hirsi was a member of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest group. She considers herself "hyper-woke" and has an arrest to prove it. In April 2024, she was rounded up with more than 100 of her comrades for camping out on the campus to support Palestine.
Following her arrest, Hirsi was suspended from Barnard College, a private liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University. While attending an institution that costs upwards of $90,000 a year, Hirsi decided to jeopardize her future.
She was one of several students arrested for squatting on the New York City campus of Columbia University to side with the aggressor in the war between Israel and Hamas. The suspension was lifted after Hirsi claimed that she would become homeless and desolate if she were kicked out of school.
Omar boasted about her daughter's antics in a social media post following her arrest. "I am enormously proud of my daughter @israhirsi," the radical member of the "Squad" posted to X, formerly Twitter, at the time.
"She has always led with courage and compassion, from organizing a statewide school walk out on the 20th anniversary of Columbine at the age of 15, to leading the biggest youth climate rally at our nation’s Capitol at 16, and now pushing her school to stand against genocide," Omar claimed. She said noted Hirsi was using her "right to speech, assembly, and petition enshrined in our constitution."
I am enormously proud of my daughter @israhirsi.
She has always led with courage and compassion, from organizing a statewide school walk out on the 20th anniversary of Columbine at the age of 15, to leading the biggest youth climate rally at our nation’s Capitol at 16, and now…— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) April 19, 2024
While Omar sang her daughter's praises, people in the real world saw this radicalism among these students as a red flag. As NBC News reported, the top law firm Davis Polk rescinded employment offers to three students at Columbia and Harvard who had made statements in favor of Hamas.
This revelation came from an internal email at the firm. "These statements are simply contrary to our firm’s values, and we thus concluded that rescinding these offers was appropriate in upholding our responsibility to provide a safe and inclusive work environment for all Davis Polk employees," the email, signed by chair and managing partner Neil Barr, said of the radical students.
"At this time, we remain in dialogue with two of these students to ensure that any further color being offered to us by these students is considered," it added. When asked to confirm it with the press, a representative from Davis Polk said that it was true and necessary.
"The views expressed in certain of the statements signed by law school student organizations in recent days are in direct contravention of our firm’s value system. For this reason and to ensure we continue to maintain a supportive and inclusive work environment, the student leaders responsible for signing on to these statements are no longer welcome in our firm," the representative said.
It's unclear whether Hirsi's activism is to blame for her lack of occupation, but it's clear that employers aren't as enamored with radical anti-Israel protesters as Democratic lawmakers are. Perhaps selling off wordly possessions is a fitting punishment for a good leftist like Hirsi.
President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security has subpoenaed Harvard University's administration for information about immigration status and alleged criminal conduct for foreigners granted student visas, Fox News reported. The legal request was sent on Wednesday, after other inquiries had gone unanswered.
The students in question are part of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program at the Ivy League institution. In a statement to Fox News Digital, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin explained the school's "refusal to cooperate" necessitated the move.
"We tried to do things the easy way with Harvard. Now, through their refusal to cooperate, we have to do things the hard way," McLauglin noted.
"Harvard, like other universities, has allowed foreign students to abuse their visa privileges and advocate for violence and terrorism on campus. If Harvard won’t defend the interests of its students, then we will," McLaughlin added.
Harvard's SEVP allows foreign students to obtain visas to study at the Cambridge, Massachusetts institution. However, some students in the program have allegedly engaged in troubling behavior on campus.
As the conflict between Israel and Palestine has escalated, anti-Semitic protests cropped up and included the participation of some of these students. This got so heated that Harvard President Alan Garber eventually had to apologize for the way Jewish students were treated.
The DHS has attempted to investigate the involvement of some foreign students in these protests by sending strongly worded letters to the Harvard administration. In April, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem requested information about SEVP students and their possible involvement.
Noem warned that failure to comply could lead to the administration revoking the program altogether. Harvard made a half-hearted attempt, sending some data that Noem said was an "insufficient, incomplete, and unacceptable response."
As a result, the DHS was compelled to revoke the SEVP designation from Harvard in May. This move affected nearly 25% of the university's student population and barred the school from enrolling any additional foreign students or issuing visas.
Following the cancellation of the program, Harvard sued the Trump administration. "It is the latest act by the government in clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to reject the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the 'ideology' of its faculty and students," the university said in its complaint.
An Obama-appointed judge sided with Harvard and issued a temporary restraining order, allowing the university to continue the program. This latest subpoena was a legal escalation that will force Harvard to provide documents, communications, and records related to SEVP program participants dating back to January 1, 2020.
Because this request has been formalized in the courts, the university must comply or face consequences. Those include anything from contempt of court to criminal charges, civil penalties, or being subject to inspections or audits of the institution.
Meanwhile, Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton claimed the subpoena was "unfounded retribution" but that the school would comply if obligated by law, the Harvard Crimson reported. Harvard, which costs upwards of $87,000 per year to attend, is surely seething.
Trump is attempting to flush out these foreign nationals who are actively protesting against America. His administration will battle it out in court, but the issue is one that could significantly shape the future of universities.