"We want them"— Shark Tank's Kevin O’Leary comments on Donald Trump's bold attempt to block Harvard's international student visa program

Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary recently made an appearance on Fox Business's Varney & Co. on Friday, May 23, 2025, and commented on President Donald Trump's decision regarding banning international student visas at Harvard.

The businessman spoke in favor of Harvard University and said that the president of the Ivy League college and Donald Trump needed to get behind closed doors and work out a deal.

While speaking of the international students who attend the university, Kevin O'Leary said he taught them and called them "the smartest students in the world." He added that they were "extraordinary individuals who didn't hate America.

"We want them here. I want to invest in them. I've already invested in two of them. These are the brightest and the best from around the world," he added.

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Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary speaks in favor of Harvard University as Donald Trump's administration attempts to block the Ivy League college's international student visa program

In a recent conversation with Fox Business, Shark Tank season 16 investor and famed television personality, Kevin O'Leary, discussed the ongoing row between Donald Trump's administration and Harvard University. He said that it was "so clear" what needed to be done and urged the president of the university and the president of America to sit down and work out a deal.

He further assured viewers that the students who came to get an Ivy League education from Harvard were some of the smartest ones in the world. He added that Harvard was the oldest educational institution and that the students who attend it were "extraordinary individuals" who didn't hate America.

The Shark Tank season 16 cast member added that the international students wanted to come to the United States of America and figure out a way to "start a business" here. He also said they were wanted and that Kevin O'Leary wanted to invest in them. He said that he would want the "best and the brightest" when he returned to Harvard in the fall.

"I along with millions of other investors want them to stay in America," he added.

Kevin O'Leary, who often sees eye-to-eye with Donald Trump's administration decisions, has long-standing ties with Harvard. In October 2023, the Harvard Business School did a case study on the Shark Tank investor.

The Abstract of the case study called Kevin O'Leary a "natural storyteller" who became known for telling entrepreneurs the "cold hard truth." It also stated that the Shark Tank investor recognized how powerful "narratives" could be and earned himself several network deals and a massive social media presence.

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District Judge issues a temporary restraining order to halt Donald Trump's plans for Harvard

Hours after Shark Tank investor, Kevin O'Leary, spoke to Fox Business about his thoughts on the Harvard and Donald Trump's ongoing conflict, BBC reported that a district judge had issued a temporary order that blocked the American president's administration plan for Harvard's international student visa program.

Due to US District Judge Allison Burroughs' temporary restraining order, the government cannot make any further moves against Harvard's Student and Exchange Visitor Program until at least May 29, 2025.

Earlier, Harvard had filed a lawsuit against the administration, terming it "unlawful and unwarranted." Alan Garber, the president of the Ivy League university, said that the government was trying to retaliate against the university for refusing to surrender its academic "independence."

"And to submit to the federal government's illegal assertion of control over our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body," he added.

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Kevin O'Leary, a Canadian investor and businessman, appears on ABC's reality show, Shark Tank, which recently wrapped up airing season 16.