The Trump administration isn’t playing games when it comes to anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Columbia University is learning that the hard way after the White House’s multi-agency task force announced an immediate cancellation of roughly $400 million in federal funding to the Ivy League institution, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon.
🚨 #BREAKING: President Trump has just cut $400 MILLION in federal funding to Columbia University for supporting antisemitic protests, per Fox
Per DOJ’s @TheLeoTerrell, “this is just the beginning!”
CUT MORE! pic.twitter.com/sw3H1zEsFd
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 7, 2025
Elon Musk Called This Financial News ‘Terrifying’
The reason? Columbia’s repeated failure to protect Jewish students in the wake of Hamas’s brutal Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.
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The departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and Education, along with the General Services Administration, made the announcement Friday, just two days after radical Columbia students stormed a Barnard College building in yet another unhinged protest.
Within hours of the funding cut, Columbia finally suspended four of the agitators who were arrested after clashing with law enforcement.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon didn’t hold back, saying Jewish students have faced “relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment” for months while Columbia has done little to stop it.
“Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding. For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students. Today, we demonstrate that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer.”
And this could just be the beginning. The Trump administration’s newly formed Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is now scrutinizing a staggering $5 billion of Columbia’s federal funding.
Task force leader Leo Terrell made it clear that pulling taxpayer dollars from institutions that refuse to uphold basic anti-discrimination laws is just step one.
“Freezing the funds is one of the tools we are using to respond to this spike in anti-Semitism. This is only the beginning,” Terrell warned.
🚨🚨 BREAKING: President Trump has canceled $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University over the protests they allowed.
Per DOJ’s @TheLeoTerrell, “this is just the beginning!” pic.twitter.com/fBHhPZompT
— JOSH DUNLAP (@JDunlap1974) March 7, 2025
“Canceling 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.”
Columbia relies heavily on federal cash, receiving over $1 billion annually in research grants. That accounts for nearly one-fifth of its $6.6 billion operating budget, according to the school’s own 2024 financial reports.
A university spokeswoman issued a carefully crafted response, claiming:
“We take Columbia’s legal obligations seriously and understand how serious this announcement is and are committed to combating antisemitism and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, and staff.”
But let’s be honest—Columbia’s leadership has allowed anti-Semitic activism to fester for years.
On Wednesday, a group of student agitators from Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) and Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) stormed a Barnard College library, handing out Hamas propaganda justifying the Oct. 7 terror attacks.
Their demands? Reversing recent student expulsions, “amnesty” for all anti-Israel activists, and dismantling Barnard’s disciplinary process altogether.
JUST IN: Trump Admin cuts $400M in federal funding to Columbia University, citing failure to address antisemitism on campus, per The Free Press. Major blow to the Ivy League school.
pic.twitter.com/0oZbTZRsmh— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 7, 2025
After the mob ignored orders to leave, the administration finally let police clear the building, though not before a bomb threat was called in. Outside, the radicals fought with officers, leading to nine arrests—four of whom were Columbia students.
This was hardly the first incident. Just last week, CUAD and SJP led another mob attack on a Barnard building, leaving a security guard hospitalized and causing $30,000 in damages.
In response to the task force’s investigation, Columbia President Katrina Armstrong insisted that the school looks forward to “ongoing work with the new federal administration to fight antisemitism.”
That’s a far cry from actual accountability, but the White House isn’t buying Columbia’s lip service.
Last week, the anti-Semitism task force named Columbia as one of 10 schools under federal review for failing to protect Jewish students from discrimination.
🚨 #BREAKING: Trump Axes $400M from Columbia—Antisemitism Crackdown Hits Hard!
On March 7, 2025, 12:00 PM CST, the Trump Admin pulled the plug on $400 million in federal cash to Columbia University, slamming its failure to stop “horrific antisemitism” on campus (Fox News).… pic.twitter.com/nE8AFcApkd
— PitunisWorld 🌎 (@ScMesab) March 7, 2025
Investigators will meet with university leadership and impacted students to determine whether Columbia will face even further disciplinary action.
The message from the Trump administration is crystal clear: If universities want federal dollars, they must uphold federal law. And if elite institutions like Columbia refuse to stand against anti-Semitism, they won’t be getting a dime from American taxpayers.