Five Jewish Democratic senators have accused President Trump of exploiting antisemitism to punish universities, demanding answers on the reasoning behind penalizing Harvard University and other institutions. They claim that Trump's actions go beyond combating antisemitism and are instead aimed at attacking people and institutions that do not agree with him. The senators have called on Trump to respond with data and details on why specific colleges were targeted for a funding freeze. They also questioned the legal justification for targeting Harvard Medical School. The senators offered to work with Republicans on combating antisemitism but believe that Trump's overtures are simply a means to trash his ideological opposition.