Trump Admin Axes $400 Million In Grants To Columbia University Over Antisemitism Inaction

Members of the US Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, including the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, and the US General Services Administration, announced on Friday morning that $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University will be rescinded, citing the university’s “continued inaction” in addressing antisemitism on campus.

“These cancellations represent the first round of action and additional cancellations are expected to follow,” the task force wrote in a statement.

On Monday, the task force notified Columbia University’s Acting President of a comprehensive review of the university’s federal contracts and grants amid ongoing investigations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The review follows reports of “chaos” and “anti-Semitic harassment” on campus since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023.

This is happening at @Columbia right now.

A pro-Hamas protestor calling on the Al-Qasam brigade (the military wing of Hamas) to kill Jewish students.

If you are not enraged by this, you can GO FUCK YOURSELF. pic.twitter.com/sw98mjNQKj

— Shai Davidai (@ShaiDavidai) April 21, 2024

The Free PaIestine student body of @Columbia University have just stormed the building.
Jewish students are now being barred from entering the building in order to ensure their safety.
These students are domestic txrrorists and should be expelled from campus immediately! pic.twitter.com/MGSTkvUvFl

— Manhattan Mingle (@ManhattanMingle) February 26, 2025

On Saturday night, Jewish student Jonathan Lederer was assaulted and harassed repeatedly inside the gates of Columbia University— up to the moment pro-Palestine protesters stole and burned his Israeli flag.

Tonight, he tells his story: https://t.co/qD8854Spe8 pic.twitter.com/6UY6r8PUN6

— The Free Press (@TheFP) April 22, 2024

Tonight, protestors at @Columbia tried to burn an Israeli flag. They hit and shoved a brave Jewish student that tried to stop them.

On campus.

Don’t believe me? See for yourself pic.twitter.com/nFL3BW7Fgw

— Eden Yadegar (@edenyadegar) April 21, 2024

The task force moved very quickly this week, and by Friday morning, it announced that more than $400 million in federal grant funds from HHS and the Department of Education were rescinded.

“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,” stated Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. 

Biden has sparked a wildfire. pic.twitter.com/YXbHCKONcm

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 25, 2024

The campus of California Polytechnic State University has been shut down after a group of pro-Palestine protesters occupied a campus building and clashed with riot police late Monday.
The protesters were able to push the police back and out of the building. pic.twitter.com/Q22nOBuIrt

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) April 24, 2024

McMahon noted, “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 studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer.”

Leo Terrell, the head of the DOJ’s antisemitism task force, stated:

“Freezing the funds is one of the tools we are using to respond to this spike in anti-Semitism. This is only the beginning. 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.”

“Anti-Semitism is clearly inconsistent with the fundamental values that should inform liberal education,” Sean Keveney, HHS Acting General Counsel and Task Force member, said, adding, “Columbia University’s complacency is unacceptable.”

Earlier this week, President Trump warned woke colleges and universities that his administration planned to stop federal funding to these higher education facilities that allow “illegal protests” and will deport foreign students who participate. 

As we previously noted, students at Columbia University last year received “Resistance 101″ training from far-left activists affiliated with the Samidoun group, which the Israeli government designated as a terrorist organization in 2021.

• “Nothing Wrong With Being Hamas”: Radical Leftist Groups Trained Students Before Nationwide Campus Chaos

And remember, these college kids were being used as useful idiots by these Marxist groups to attack America’s critical infrastructure: 

• Who Is Funding This Chaos? Pro-Palestinian Protesters Attempt To Paralyze Chicago O’Hare, Golden Gate Bridge

Why the Biden-Harris regime was so hellbent on allowing these college uprisings to occur in the first place remains an open question. Unless those radicals in the administration were pushing for color revolutions…

• George Soros Paying Student Agitators To Whip Up Anti-Israel Protests

The next question is how much taxpayer funds were funneled through USAID into shady far-left NGOs that financed the chaos.