Fox News guest and investor Kevin O’Leary is raising eyebrows after challenging the Trump administration’s stance on foreign student restrictions at elite institutions like Harvard. O’Leary, a well-known entrepreneur and co-host of Shark Tank, voiced his opposition to what he described as a “shortsighted” policy that could drive away top global talent from the United States.
During Friday’s segment of Outnumbered on Fox News, O’Leary, who also serves as an executive fellow at Harvard Business School, shared firsthand insights about the university’s foreign student population. He praised Harvard for recruiting high-achieving students from across the world — regardless of nationality, race, or religion.
“Roughly 37% of the students I teach are from foreign countries,” O’Leary said. “They love this country. They want to stay, become citizens, and build businesses. We should be keeping them — not kicking them out.”
The Trump administration, led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, recently revoked Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification, citing concerns over antisemitism, political radicalism, and alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. A federal judge has since blocked the enforcement, but tensions remain high.
President Trump, known for his tough stance on border security and immigration, slammed Harvard at a recent press conference, referencing a remedial math program the school implemented post-COVID. “These students can’t even add two plus two,” he said. “This is the so-called best of the best?”
Despite the growing controversy, O’Leary remained firm in his view.
“Look, Harvard deserves criticism on many fronts, and I don’t agree with everything they do,” he said. “But these international students are not the problem. They’re some of the brightest minds on Earth — and we’re spending millions to educate them. Why would we train them and then send them straight to our competitors?”
Many conservatives agree that American universities need serious reform, especially when it comes to ideological bias and national security risks. However, O’Leary’s remarks strike a chord with those who believe in leveraging global talent for economic growth, especially when those students align with American values and ambitions.
As the debate continues, one question looms large: Should America educate the world’s smartest students — only to hand them over to China, Europe, or Silicon Valley’s foreign branches?