Trump suspends hundreds of millions in funding for Princeton over campus antisemitism

Trump administration halts research funding, totaling close to half a billion annually, amid ongoing accusations of antisemitism on campus and the administration’s failure to rein in pro-Hamas activists.

By World Israel News Staff

The Trump administration has frozen federal research funding to Princeton University after the college was warned it faced sanctions over its alleged failure to crack down on antisemitic harassment on campus.

On Tuesday, Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber wrote in a group campus email that dozens of federal grants from multiple agencies have been suspended.

“Princeton University yesterday and today received notifications from government agencies, including the Department of Energy, NASA, and the Defense Department, suspending several dozen Princeton research grants,” Eisgruber wrote.

Eisgruber claimed that the “full rationale for this action is not yet clear,” though the move comes after the Trump administration sent warning letters to dozens of schools last month, telling them that they were under investigation over allegations of campus antisemitism and harassment of Jewish students.

“Princeton University will comply with the law,” Eisgruber stated. “We are committed to fighting antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, and we will cooperate with the government in combating antisemitism. Princeton will also vigorously defend academic freedom and the due process rights of this University.”

The federal Department of Education first launched its probe of Princeton in April 2024, after Campus Reform editor Zachary Marschall filed a complaint against school officials, citing anti-Israel, pro-Hamas chants on campus.

While no figure has been released regarding the amount of funds withheld from Princeton, the Ivy League school received $455 million in federal grants during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Eisgruber’s announcement came one day after federal agencies suspended $9 billion in grants and contracts with Harvard University over the school’s alleged failure to combat campus antisemitism.

Last month, the Trump administration suspended $400 million in funding for Columbia University, also citing the school’s handling of campus antisemitism and widespread pro-Hamas demonstrations.

Since then, school administrators have vowed to implement changes demanded by the Trump administration, in the hopes of restoring federal funding.