POLITICS NEWS – Trump administration cancels $400 million in federal money for Columbia University

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

The Trump administration has now canceled $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University. This comes after what the Trump administration has described as a failure of the school to police antisemitism on its campus. The cancellation was announced Friday in a joint statement from the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, and the U.S. General Services Administration. This decision was then carried out through the statement, “due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.” It is unclear what programs will be most affected by this cancellation. The statement said that the funding pullback was “ the first round of action” and that “additional cancellations are expected to follow.” The government also stated that Colombia has over $5 billion in federal grant commitments. 

A Columbia spokesperson said that the school was reviewing the announcement and was committed to, “work with the federal government to restore Columbia’s federal funding.” The poker person went on to say, “ 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.”