The move has Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying Chinese students have the rights of Americans, despite merely being permitted foreign student visa holders, saying Rubio's move "seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students."
Rubio says foreign visa holders have the privilege, not the right, to be in the U.S.
Trump now wants to cut Harvard's estimated foreign student visa base in half, down to 15% to make sure those attended from foreign rivals like China "are people that can love our country."
"I think Harvard has to get a kick in the rear end," Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz told Newsmax's "Saturday Agenda." "It's not going to do it by itself. The president of Harvard would like to do the right thing, and he's a very decent man.