Bill Maher roasts Harvard as he backs Trump for halting federal grants: 'There’s a kernel of a good idea'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: 'Real Time' host Bill Maher took a jibe at Harvard University as he backed President Donald Trump's push to penalize the university by freezing billions in federal grants.

Maher said during the May 30 episode, "Trump has declared full-scale war on Harvard, and like so many things he does, there’s a kernel of a good idea there."

Bill Maher backs Trump for halting federal grants for Harvard University

The talk show host bragged, "I’ve been sh–ing on Harvard long before he was."

Interestingly, Maher, an Ivy League graduate, earned his degree from Harvard's rival, Cornell University, in Ithaca, the New York Post reported.

Meanwhile, guest and CNN host Jake Tapper referenced Maher’s alma mater and said the talk show's bashing had nothing to do with the longstanding enmity.

Maher said, "It’s because Harvard is an a*****le factory in a lot of ways that produces smirking f*** faces." 

Moreover, it was not clear if Maher was aware that his other guest, Congressman Seth Moulton, attended Harvard.

Tapper told Maher, "He has three degrees from Harvard. He’s a f*** face times three."

Notably, Maher was once a vocal critic of Trump, but changed his tune after he had dinner with the POTUS at the White House alongside UFC owner Dana White and Kid Rock in April 2025.

After meeting the POTUS, Maher acknowledged Trump was a "different" person than the one portrayed by liberal media outlets.

He said, "The guy I met is not the person who, the night before, s***-tweeted a bunch of nasty crap about how he thought this dinner was a bad idea, and what a deranged a*****e I was."

Bill Maher's earlier criticism of Ivy League colleges

This is not the first time Maher has taken a jibe at the Ivy League colleges. In 2023, the comedian said he would like to advise the youth of America not to go to college.

"As an Ivy League graduate who knows the value of a liberal education, I have one piece of advice for the youth of America: Don't go to college," Maher said.

Moreover, Maher aimed at higher learning institutions in the US and compared them to the re-education camps in North Korea.

He said, "Because college life today is a day spa combined with North Korean re-education camp. It’s a daycare center with a meal plan, except the toddlers can fire the adults."

The talk show host compared Harvard Yard to the Wuhan wet market and said, "If ignorance is a disease, Harvard Yard is the Wuhan wet market." 

Donald Trump vows to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status

In May 2025, Donald Trump said his administration would revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status while escalating his earlier threats against the Ivy League school, and expanding an ongoing legal battle, according to CNBC.

Trump took to Truth Social on May 2 and wrote, "We are going to be taking away Harvard’s Tax Exempt Status. It’s what they deserve!"

The POTUS has been campaigning against Harvard and other elite schools based on claims that they have fostered antisemitism and other forms of discrimination on their campuses, per the outlet.

He has sought to extract concessions from the institutions by threatening to withhold federal research grants unless the schools make changes that give the administration more oversight of their operations.

Moreover, the State Department and immigration authorities have targeted several international students by revoking their visas, and in several high-profile cases, detaining individual students, the outlet reported.

Internet slams Bill Maher for backing Donald Trump

Several internet users slammed Bill Maher as he took a jibe at Harvard University and backed Donald Trump's push to penalize the university by freezing billions in federal grants.

A user wrote on X, "No one gives a rats a** what maher thinks or says...stop it," while another added, "Real talk is back and people now accept getting told how the world really look on wokeness."

One person stated, "Most smug person on tv complaining about ppl being smug that’s hilarious," whereas another remarked, "All three smirking f*** faces from Ivy Leagues … says it all right here."

One individual wrote, "It's too late Bill Maher give me a break," while another commented, "Bill got rejected by Harvard."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.