(DailyEmailNews.com) – President Donald Trump has delivered a strong message to leftist academia: federal funds will not be used to propel the damaging liberal agenda forward.
Specifically, the administration slashed $400 million in funding to Columbia University due to rampant anti-semitism on campus.
Four federal agencies announced the cuts amid growing frustration with Ivy League institutions that take taxpayer money while allowing hostile environments for Jewish students to fester.
The Trump administration’s decision targets Columbia University’s nearly $5 billion in federal grant commitments, primarily used for healthcare and scientific research.
The Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, and the U.S. General Services Administration jointly announced the cancellations.
The move is a direct response to the university’s failure to protect Jewish students amid anti-Israel protests.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon did not mince words about the reasoning behind the funding cuts.
“Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding,” McMahon stated.
“For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer,” she added.
“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses – only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” McMahon continued.
The cuts mark the first round of funding cancellations, with federal officials warning that “additional cancellations are expected to follow.”
The message is clear: taxpayer dollars will no longer subsidize institutions that fail to uphold basic protections for all students, particularly in the face of increasing anti-semitism.
Columbia has been a hotbed of anti-Israel activities since October 7th, with pro-Palestinian protesters demanding the university divest from companies supporting Israel’s military operations.
The demonstrations have created an increasingly hostile environment for Jewish students on campus.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Senior Counsel Leo Terrell said:
“Cancelling these taxpayer funds is our strongest signal yet that the federal government is not going to be party to an educational institution like Columbia that does not protect Jewish students and staff. Freezing the funds is one of the tools we are using to respond to this spike in anti-Semitism. This is only the beginning.”
President Trump has been vocal about cracking down on campus extremism.
He previously stated that “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested.”
The funding cuts demonstrate that the administration is backing up tough talk with concrete action.
Columbia University officials are scrambling to respond. Spokesperson Samantha Slater stated that the university “takes Columbia’s legal obligations seriously” and is “committed to combating anti-semitism and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff.”
The university is currently reviewing the federal announcement and working to restore its funding.
While left-wing groups like the ACLU and the New York Civil Liberties Union have criticized the move as an attack on free speech, the administration has made it clear that the issue is about protecting students from harassment and discrimination.
Columbia is one of five colleges currently under federal investigation for anti-semitism, alongside other liberal bastions like UC Berkeley and the University of Minnesota.
The message from the Trump administration is unmistakable: higher education institutions that take federal money must protect all students equally or face financial consequences.
Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum summed up the administration’s position: “Doing business with the Federal Government is a privilege, and Columbia’s inaction is not in line with the Administration’s ideals.”
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