Washington DC - The infamous letter that triggered President Donald Trump's administration all-out assault on Harvard University was reportedly sent by mistake.

Multiple officials from the Trump administration's antisemitism task force said the letter was sent without authorization or in any case, prematurely.

Per the New York Times, Department of Health and Human Services acting general counsel Sean Keveney, who is also a member of the taskforce, was responsible for sending the letter.

It contained a list of harsh demands for Harvard and triggered a massive battle between Trump and the university leadership, which publicly refused to comply.

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On Wednesday, the president threatened to strip Harvard of its ability to enroll foreign students. The move is only the latest in a series of attacks on universities where students have been protesting against Israel's US-sponsored destruction of Gaza.

A spokesperson for Harvard University responded to the Trump administration's claims that the institution should have checked with White House lawyers before responding to the letter.

A statement quoted by the New York Times pointed out that the document had been signed by three federal officials and sent on official letterhead.

"Recipients of such correspondence from the U.S. government – even when it contains sweeping demands that are astonishing in their overreach – do not question its authenticity or seriousness," the spokesperson said.

"It remains unclear to us exactly what, among the government’s recent words and deeds, were mistakes or what the government actually meant to do and say."

"But even if the letter was a mistake, the actions the government took this week have real-life consequences."