Columbia ready to work with Trump to bolster disciplinary process that was 'only on paper'

Armstrong says in her letter that the funding cuts will "immediately impact research and other critical functions," but she does not dismiss the Trump administration's claims. Rather, Armstrong writes that the university takes the cuts "very seriously" and is prepared to work with the government on its "legitimate concerns."

"When I accepted the role of Interim President in August 2024, I knew Columbia needed a reset from the previous year and the chaos of encampments and protests on our campus," Armstrong wrote. "The University also needed to acknowledge and repair the damage to our Jewish students, who were targeted, harassed, and made to feel unsafe or unwelcome on our campus last spring."

In August 2024, Shafik resigned after the university was rocked by months of anti-Israel protests, including a large encampment at the center of its campus and the takeover of a building.

The White House later posted a tweet with the phrase "Shalom Columbia," likely a nod to a message Trump sent to Hamas earlier in the week.

The fund slashing came just a few days after the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Justice (DOJ), Education (DoE) and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the initiation of a "comprehensive review" of federal grants to Columbia. The agencies cited the recently formed Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism's investigation into whether Columbia violated the Civil Rights Act with its inaction on the harassment of Jewish students. 

"For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus," Secretary of Education Linda McMahon wrote in a statement. "Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer."

Columbia University has experienced renewed anti-Israel activity in the last few weeks. In January, students barged into an Israeli history class and distributed flyers with antisemitic and hateful rhetoric.

The students were later expelled, sparking protests at Columbia's sister school, Barnard. Multiple protesters were arrested after they took over the Barnard College library in protest of the expulsions.