Anti-Israel protests have engulfed college campuses across America. Elite universities have witnessed demonstrations with increasing intensity. Students and faculty alike have participated in rallies featuring chants and signs that many Jewish students find threatening. The problem has become particularly acute at Ivy League institutions. Last year, the Anti-Defamation League gave Princeton University an “F” grade for how it handles antisemitism on campus. The rating came after protests featuring chants of “Intifada” and “Brick by brick, wall by wall, apartheid has got to fall” erupted just weeks after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

For months, these protests continued with seemingly little consequence. Until now. The Donald Trump administration has paused $210 million in federal funding to Princeton University while investigating antisemitism on campus. This decisive action signals a new approach to addressing concerns about how universities handle discrimination against Jewish students.

“Princeton has perpetuated racist and antisemitic policies,” a Trump administration official told the Daily Caller on Monday.

The official noted that while the funding has been suspended, the administration’s antisemitism probe remains ongoing. This pause affects nearly half of the $456 million Princeton received from government grants and contracts last year.

What makes this particularly striking is Princeton’s massive $34 billion endowment. Think about that for a second – they’re sitting on $34 billion while still collecting hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars! Why exactly are hardworking Americans subsidizing one of the wealthiest educational institutions on the planet?

Princeton’s Antisemitism Problem Comes With a Price Tag

Princeton is far from alone in facing financial consequences for its approach to campus antisemitism. The university is one of 60 colleges and universities that the Department of Education’s civil rights arm warned earlier this month could have federal funding taken away over alleged antisemitic discrimination and harassment. The investigation into Princeton’s handling of antisemitism actually began during the Joe Biden administration in April of 2024. However, where the previous administration merely investigated, the Trump administration has taken concrete action by pausing funding while the probe continues. Indeed,  this is the difference between talk and action.

The legal justification comes from Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. This prohibits institutions of higher education from receiving federal money if they participate in or enable discrimination based on race, national origin, religion, or other characteristics.

Princeton joins other prestigious institutions facing similar scrutiny. The Trump administration previously froze approximately $400 million in federal funds from Columbia University over antisemitism concerns. Columbia has since agreed to nine preconditions to regain its funding, which the administration is currently reviewing. Even more significantly, Harvard University now faces a review of over $8.7 billion worth of multi-year federal grant commitments. The probe also extends to $255 million in contracts that Harvard has with the federal government.

These actions reflect a systematic approach to ensuring that taxpayer dollars do not support institutions that tolerate discrimination against Jewish students or fail to maintain safe learning environments for all. I’m struggling to understand why this approach wasn’t taken years ago.

How Campus Protests Led to Federal Action

The investigation into Princeton began after Zachary Marschall, editor-in-chief of the conservative website Campus Reform, filed a complaint with the Department of Education. Marschall documented an October of 2023 anti-Israel protest at Princeton where demonstrators chanted slogans that many considered threatening.

“The violent words of these protesters completely disregard the atrocities Hamas has already committed and promises to commit in the future against the people of Israel, including raping, murdering, and kidnapping civilians,” Marschall wrote in his complaint.

This pattern of protests, coupled with what many perceive as inadequate university responses, created the conditions for the current federal intervention. The funding pause represents a significant escalation in how the government addresses antisemitism concerns on campus.

Bigger Picture For American Taxpayers

The Princeton situation highlights several important facts that every American taxpayer should understand: First, elite universities with massive endowments continue receiving billions in taxpayer funding despite their enormous wealth. Princeton’s $34 billion endowment could fund its operations for years without any government assistance.

Second, the Trump administration is using existing civil rights laws to ensure that federal dollars don’t support institutions that allow discrimination. This represents a return to enforcing core American values through federal funding mechanisms.

Third, holding universities accountable financially appears to be producing results. Columbia’s agreement to meet specific conditions demonstrates that when funding is at risk, universities can quickly find ways to address discrimination concerns. Finally, this approach signals a broader shift in how the federal government engages with higher education. Taxpayers should no longer expect to fund institutions that fail to uphold basic American values of religious tolerance and equal treatment under the law.

As this investigation continues, Princeton faces a clear choice: address antisemitism concerns effectively or continue to lose access to federal funding. For an institution that claims to champion inclusion and diversity, the path forward should be obvious – even if it took $210 million in suspended funding to make the point clear.

Key Takeaways:-

• Princeton loses $210 million in federal funding while continuing to enjoy a $34 billion endowment.
• Trump administration takes decisive action where Biden administration only investigated.
• Columbia and Harvard face similar scrutiny with billions in federal dollars at stake.
• Universities must choose: uphold American values or lose taxpayer funding

Sources: The New York Post, The Daily Caller