Washington DC - President Donald Trump doubled down Wednesday on his campaign against Harvard University after the elite school refused to capitulate to his latest demands.

Harvard has stood out for largely defying Trump's attempts to make it submit to wide-ranging government oversight, in contrast to several other universities that have folded completely under intense pressure from the White House.

"Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World's Great Universities or Colleges," Trump said in a long rant on Truth Social mostly aimed at Harvard staff and leadership.

"Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds."

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On Tuesday, Trump threatened to strip the university of its tax-exempt status as a nonprofit educational institution, after earlier freezing $2.2 billion in federal funding.

Trump has demanded that the university change the way it runs itself, including how it selects students and its hiring practices, and that it submit itself to "audits" of academic programs and departments.

On Tuesday, Harvard President Alan Garber said the school would not "negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights."

The president and his administration have justified their pressure campaign on universities as a reaction to what they say is uncontrolled antisemitism on campus – which is being defined as any and all expressions of solidarity with Palestinians being subjected to mass killing by a US-backed Israel.

The White House has also strong-armed dozens of universities and colleges with threats to remove federal funding over their policies meant to encourage racial diversity and fight discrimination.