Trump Administration Cuts Columbia University’s Federal Funding Over Antisemitism Concerns
The Trump administration has revoked $400 million in federal grants and contracts from Columbia University, citing the school’s alleged failure to address antisemitic harassment on campus. The move, announced Friday, follows months of scrutiny over campus protests related to the Israel-Hamas war and marks an escalation in the administration’s pressure on higher education institutions regarding antisemitism.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement that Columbia had “abandoned” its responsibility to protect Jewish students, adding that universities must comply with federal antidiscrimination laws to receive government funding. The Department of Education had warned Columbia earlier in the week that funding could be cut due to alleged inaction on antisemitism, and a Friday press release stated that protests and harassment had continued unchecked.
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Columbia currently faces three federal investigations regarding antisemitism on campus. The campus was a focal point of demonstrations last year, with students establishing an encampment to protest Israel’s actions in Gaza. Some Jewish students reported harassment and offensive slogans at protests, leading to calls for stronger action against antisemitism.
The school’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, acknowledged the severity of the situation in a message to the university community, stating the school is “committed to working with the federal government to address their legitimate concerns.”
In her message, Armstrong wrote that the loss of funds would “immediately impact research and other critical functions of the University, impacting students, faculty, staff, research, and patient care.” Columbia receives over $747 million annually from the National Institutes of Health alone and holds more than $5 billion in multiyear federal grant commitments.
