White House seeks fines from other universities after Columbia deal

Published July 26, 2025
People walk on campus at Columbia University in New York City, US, on April 8, 2025. — Reuters/File
People walk on campus at Columbia University in New York City, US, on April 8, 2025. — Reuters/File

The White House is seeking fines from several universities it says failed to stop antisemitism on campus, including Harvard University, in exchange for restoring federal funding, an official of US President Donald Trump’s administration said on Friday.

The administration is in talks with several universities, including Cornell, Duke, Northwestern and Brown, the source said, confirming a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration is close to striking deals with Northwestern and Brown and potentially Cornell.

A deal with Harvard, the country’s oldest and richest university, is a key target for the White House, the official added.

A spokesperson for Cornell declined to comment. Other universities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump and his team have undertaken a broad campaign to leverage federal funding to force change at US universities, which the Republican president says are gripped by antisemitic and “radical left” ideologies.

Trump has targeted several universities since returning to office in January over the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that roiled college campuses last year.

Columbia University said on Wednesday that it will pay more than $200 million to the US government in a settlement with the administration to resolve federal probes and have most of its suspended federal funding restored.

The Trump administration has welcomed the Columbia deal, with officials believing the university set the standard on how to reach an agreement, the official said.

Harvard has taken a different approach, suing the federal government in a bid to get suspended federal grants restored.

Opinion

Editorial

Ceasefire extension
Updated 23 Apr, 2026

Ceasefire extension

THOUGH the US has extended the Iran ceasefire — thanks largely to effective Pakistani diplomacy to prevent sliding...
Climate & livelihoods
23 Apr, 2026

Climate & livelihoods

THE latest ILO report estimates that around 3.3m jobs may have been affected by the 2025 floods — significantly...
Virtual courts
23 Apr, 2026

Virtual courts

THOUGH routine activities in Islamabad have been greatly hindered amidst security preparations for another round of...
Moment of truth
Updated 22 Apr, 2026

Moment of truth

ISLAMABAD is all set to host the second round of US-Iran talks. But the million-dollar question is: will they go...
Rights at risk
22 Apr, 2026

Rights at risk

ACROSS the world, rights are shrinking. Amnesty International’s latest report notes a pattern that cuts across...
Extrajudicial killing
22 Apr, 2026

Extrajudicial killing

THE appeal by a Lady Health Worker from Muzaffargarh to the chief justice of Pakistan for an independent probe into...