Trump Administration Cuts $400 Million to Columbia, $800 Million to Johns Hopkins Over Antisemitism, Impacting Other Universities

The Trump administration has terminated $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University, citing the institution's failure to address antisemitism on campus. This decision impacts a broad range of research projects, including the cancellation of 232 grants at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, notably a $16.6 million grant for a maternal mortality clinical trial led by Uma Reddy, which was set to involve a 600-person trial. Johns Hopkins University has also faced significant cuts, with the Trump administration terminating $800 million in grants. This has led Johns Hopkins to plan layoffs and cancel health projects, affecting the university's public health, medical, and international health programs. In response to the funding cuts and potential future reductions, other universities are taking precautionary measures. The University of Washington, which receives approximately $1.37 billion in federal funding and recently received a 'D' grade from the Anti-Defamation League for handling antisemitism, has implemented a hiring freeze for non-essential staff and is limiting future faculty hiring. The University of Pennsylvania is pulling back on spending, including a freeze on some hiring and a review of capital spending. The cuts to Columbia and Johns Hopkins are part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to address what it perceives as inaction against antisemitism and other issues at universities, with warnings that other institutions, including Harvard, Berkeley, UCLA, and 60 other universities currently under investigation for Title VI violations, could face similar consequences.