Politics

Trump threatens tax-exempt status of colleges, says many are about 'Radical Left Indoctrination'

Key Points
  • President Trump said he is asking the Treasury Department to review the tax-exempt status of universities and school systems. 
  • In a series of tweets, Trump said too many are about "Radical Left Indoctrination, not Education." 
  • Trump's tweets follow his aggressive push this week to have K-12 schools reopen for in-person classes this fall despite the coronavirus pandemic. 
US President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during the Independence Day events at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota, July 3, 2020.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images

President Donald Trump said Friday he is asking the Treasury Department to review the tax-exempt status of universities and school systems, suggesting in a tweet that too many were about "Radical Left Indoctrination, not Education." 

Trump also said he would have their funding revoked "if this Propaganda or Act Against Public Policy continues."

"Our children must be Educated, not Indoctrinated!" he wrote. 

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Trump's criticism of colleges and school systems follows the president's aggressive push this week to have schools fully reopen for in-person classes this fall despite the coronavirus pandemic. Trump threatened to withhold federal funding for schools that do not open. 

The White House declined CNBC's request for further comment on Trump's tweets. It is not clear whether Trump was specifically referring to private colleges and K-12 schools, or if his directive would also apply to public institutions. 

Most colleges and universities — private and public — are registered as tax exempt, according to the Association of American Universities