Democrats: Trump Misses Mark on Columbia Funding

Reps. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., said on Friday that the Trump administration's decision to cut some $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University "isn't about combating antisemitism."

"It's about the Trump administration's war on education and science," they said. "If the Trump administration were as serious about antisemitism as they claim, they would not have filled their ranks with unapologetic antisemites."

Nadler and Espaillat said the canceled grants "support the discovery of life-saving cures and critical research." They added that "slashing this funding will not protect the Jewish students Trump claims to defend but will instead undermine their academic futures."

The congressmen said the Trump administration's announcement "does nothing to keep Jewish students safe and sends a chilling message that universities must align with the MAGA agenda or face financial ruin."

The Republican Party of New York said, "New York Dems are all talk and no action on antisemitism."

"Memo to Democrats: This is what defending Jewish students actually looks like," the party said. "Students targeted by radical mobs need action — not empty rhetoric."

David Harris, former CEO of the American Jewish Committee who is executive vice chair of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, wrote that as Nadler's constituent, he is "appalled" by the congressman's position.

"President Trump's decision to cut $400 million in federal funds to Columbia is spot on," Harris said directing his comment at Nadler. "Columbia had 16 months to stop rabid antisemitism on campus. It didn't. (Nor did you help.) Maybe it'll now get the message."

Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, said the Trump administration was right to cancel the $400 million in grants and contracts due to Columbia's "continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students."

"Cutting Columbia's funding for failing to protect Jewish students is long overdue and authorized under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act," Klein said. "This law was not even being enforced to protect Jewish students until 2010, after a six-year successful battle led by the ZOA, which we fought for many years largely alone, with little support and even condemnation from other Jewish groups such as ADL.

"It should be noted that 60% of all religious hate crimes are directed against Jews, even though Jews comprise only 2% of the U.S. population."

This JNS.org report was republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate.