Donald Trump News : The Trump administration yanked approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts from Columbia University on Friday, March 7, accusing the Ivy League school of failing to shield Jewish students from what it calls rampant antisemitic harassment.
Highlights
- Trump administration cuts $400 million in Columbia University grants over alleged antisemitism.
- Education Secretary McMahon cites “relentless harassment” of Jewish students since October 2023.
- Columbia vows to fight funding loss as critics decry move as unconstitutional overreach.
Trump Pulls $400 Million in Grants from Columbia University Over ‘Antisemitic Harassment’
The dramatic move, announced by a multi-agency task force, marks the first major salvo in President Donald Trump’s campaign to penalize universities over campus unrest tied to the Israel-Hamas war, drawing both praise and fierce backlash as Columbia scrambles to respond.
A Swift Crackdown on Alleged Inaction
The funding cut, affecting 8% of Columbia’s $5 billion in federal commitments, stems from what Education Secretary Linda McMahon described as “relentless violence, intimidation, and antisemitic harassment” since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
“For too long, Columbia has abandoned its obligation to Jewish students,” McMahon said in a statement, pointing to pro-Palestinian protests that rocked the campus last spring, including tent encampments and a takeover of Hamilton Hall.
The Departments of Justice, Education, Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration jointly acted, signaling more cuts may follow a “comprehensive review” launched March 3.
Trump, who threatened such funding pulls earlier this week, framed the decision as a fulfillment of his pledge to combat campus antisemitism, a priority since his January executive order.
The Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, led by DOJ’s Leo Terrell, called it “only the beginning,” with Terrell asserting, “Taxpayer funds won’t prop up schools that don’t protect Jewish students.”
Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, warned in a campus email that the loss “will immediately impact research and critical functions,” urging cooperation with federal officials to restore the grants.
Protests, Probes, and Polarized Reactions
Columbia became a flashpoint for U.S. campus protests in 2024, with demonstrators decrying Israel’s Gaza campaign—actions the administration links to antisemitic incidents, though many protesters insist their criticism isn’t anti-Jewish.
A university task force last summer found Jewish students faced ostracism and verbal abuse, while recent Barnard College sit-ins (affiliated with Columbia) saw arrests and $30,000 in damages. The school’s response—hiring 100 safety officers and suspending some students—hasn’t quelled federal ire, with only four of 22 Hamilton Hall occupiers facing lasting discipline, per a House GOP report.
Jewish groups like Columbia/Barnard Hillel hailed the cut as a “wake-up call,” with director Brian Cohen urging trustees to act decisively. Conversely, the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Donna Lieberman slammed it as “unconstitutional,” arguing it punishes protected speech critical of Israel.
“This is Trump silencing dissent he doesn’t like,” she said. Legal challenges loom, as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act governs such reviews, but experts note the speed—four days from probe to penalty—is unprecedented, raising due process questions.
Fallout and a Test Case
The $400 million slash, targeting unspecified grants (likely research and healthcare funds), tests Trump’s broader higher education stance, days after reports surfaced of an EO to abolish the Education Department.
Columbia, vowing to “work with the federal government” to reverse the decision, faces operational strain—2024 federal funding hit $1.3 billion of its budget, per the Columbia Daily Spectator.
Allies like Canada, already at odds over tariffs, decried the move as U.S. retreat from norms, while domestic critics like Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) warned of “politicizing education.”
As Trump doubles down—tweeting Friday, “Columbia’s a disgrace, more to come”—the cut signals a new era of federal muscle over campuses. With markets dipping (Dow -300 points) and Columbia’s fate a bellwether, the clash pits Trump’s antisemitism crackdown against free speech defenders, with billions more in grants on the line.
