Trump’s Bold Stand Against Campus Antisemitism Sends a Clear Message

[Social Media]

 

The decisive actions coming from Donald Trump’s administration regarding antisemitism on college campuses have been swift and far-reaching. The latest move—the cancellation of $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University due to its failure to address antisemitism—demonstrates the administration’s firm stance against hate and discrimination.  

 

This followed a State Department decision to revoke the visa of a foreign student involved in what officials described as “Hamas-supporting disruptions.” These measures target radical campus groups, faculty members openly supporting a terrorist organization, and university administrators who have done little to curb the rising hostility toward Jewish students.  

 

Reports suggest that other institutions could soon face similar consequences. The Department of Education is currently investigating antisemitic incidents at five universities: Columbia, Northwestern University, Portland State University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.  

 

Education Secretary Linda McMahon made the administration’s position clear: “Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding. Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus.”  

 

Additional institutions could soon come under scrutiny, including Yale, which recently received a “D” on an Anti-Defamation League report for incidents involving antisemitic flyers and protests where demonstrators chanted, “Free our prisoners, free them all, Zionism must fall.”  

 

The penalties against Columbia were prompted by what officials called an “explosion of antisemitism on American campuses following the Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023.” The Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on national origin at federally funded educational institutions, making these crackdowns legally justified.  

 

McMahon also hinted that Columbia’s punishment could grow. The university, a top research institution, has approximately $5 billion in federal commitments, with Washington reportedly contributing about a quarter of its annual budget.  

 

Columbia, like many other elite universities, likely believed it could allow such hostility to fester without government intervention. The failure of Democrats and the Biden administration to address antisemitism only emboldened these institutions, creating a false sense of impunity.  

 

The current administration’s approach contrasts sharply with its predecessor’s. Back in December 2023, House Republicans grilled the presidents of Harvard, Penn, and MIT for failing to protect Jewish students. While many Democrats remained silent or even defended these university leaders, the outrage led to the resignations of the Harvard and Penn presidents, largely due to donor backlash.  

 

Yet, more than a year later, explicit support for Hamas and calls for the destruction of Israel continue to spread across campuses. At Barnard College, which is affiliated with Columbia, radicals recently occupied buildings twice and disrupted classes.  

 

If history is any indication, such disturbances will only escalate as the weather warms. Trump’s administration is stepping in to stop this growing tide, a stark contrast to the previous government’s inaction.  

 

Failing to act against domestic support for Hamas—a group responsible for the massacre of Israeli civilians, including children, and the kidnapping and torture of hostages—effectively condones the surge in antisemitic rhetoric and violence. In some cases, the Biden White House’s public critiques of Israel’s actions in Gaza were nearly indistinguishable from those of Hamas and radical activists. This tacit approval has fueled campus hostility against Jewish students.  

 

The open antisemitism seen in New York and other major cities has reached levels not witnessed since the Holocaust. This is not a matter of free speech but rather a dangerous escalation that, if left unchecked, could lead to violence. History has shown that ignoring such hatred only allows it to spread.  

 

Trump, often regarded as the most pro-Israel president in U.S. history, has made Jewish safety in America a priority. His nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations underscores this commitment. Stefanik, who played a pivotal role in exposing university leaders’ inaction on antisemitism, has vowed to confront the UN’s deep-seated hostility toward Israel. “The antisemites at the United Nations better buckle up because I’m coming,” she recently declared. “The university presidents were just a warm-up.”  

 

The administration’s crackdown must also include criminal prosecution. Despite radicals setting up tent cities, harassing classmates, breaking into buildings, and refusing to leave, few students faced meaningful consequences. In cities like New York, lenient prosecutors have dropped most charges against these agitators.  

 

Trump may ultimately need to consider whether the Department of Justice should intervene in cases involving federal law violations. Additionally, any foreign students involved in such actions must continue to have their visas revoked.  

 

Even so, universities cannot evade their responsibility to uphold anti-discrimination policies. Columbia, in response to the federal penalties, recently released a statement pledging to “work with the federal government” and reaffirming its commitment to combating antisemitism and ensuring student safety. However, this response only came after the university faced financial consequences, proving the necessity of Trump’s intervention.  

 

Based on a report by NYP  2025-03-11

 

Related Topics:

 

Trump Threatens to Cut Federal Funding Over Campus Protests

U.S. State Dept to Use AI to Revoke Visas of Foreign Students with Alleged Ties to Hamas

 

 

[Yagoda]

Deport them all.

[300sd]

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

Columbia, in response to the federal penalties, recently released a statement pledging to “work with the federal government” and reaffirming its commitment to combating antisemitism and ensuring student safety

Yeh well they never had to "work" with the last federal gov't did they. The last one was obviously on board with them or vise-versa.  A university that needs to be forced to do the right thing, by threatening their funding is disgusting. Stop that funding for one whole year. Better yet, stop it forever. The other progressive universities will fall in line real fast.