US: Trump asks Harvard to return virus relief funds

By Vakkas Dogantekin

ANKARA (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called on Harvard University to pay back money it got for relief from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, mistakenly saying it had taken the money earmarked for small businesses.

"I’m going to request it," Trump told reporters at the White House. "Harvard is going to pay back the money. They shouldn’t be taking it."

Trump said Harvard, one of the world’s wealthiest universities, had gotten $8 million from a $2.2 trillion federal fund meant to revive U.S. businesses and American households.

"I’m not going to mention any other names, but when I saw Harvard – they have one of the largest endowments anywhere in the country, maybe in the world. They’re going to pay back the money," he said.

Harvard had received the money through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, like many other U.S. colleges and universities.

“Harvard has committed that 100% of these emergency higher education funds will be used to provide direct assistance to students facing urgent financial needs due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” the university said in a statement.

Coronavirus stay-at-home measures have created record unemployment across the country and crippled thousands of small businesses.

Trump targeting Harvard came amid reports that big businesses such as Shake Shack, Potbelly, and Ruth’s Chris Steak House tapped into funds which were meant for smaller businesses with fewer than 500 employees.

The small-business loan program, initially funded at $350 billion, ran out of money within days and the Senate on Tuesday had to pass another $484 billion loan package, which is expected to be approved by the House on Wednesday.

The U.S. is the country in the world hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 820,000 confirmed infections and nearly 45,000 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.