US President Donald Trump has issued a sweeping threat to defund schools and universities that permit “illegal protests,” escalating his ongoing war against America’s education system.
“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,” Trump declared on Truth Social Tuesday, vowing that agitators would either be jailed or deported. “American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS!” he added.
Trump’s remarks come amid heightened tensions over student-led protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, which have sparked accusations of anti-Semitism. The administration has been scrutinizing institutions like Columbia University, which is now at risk of losing over $50 million in federal contracts for allegedly failing to protect Jewish students.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, part of Trump’s newly formed task force on campus anti-Semitism, reinforced the administration’s stance. “Schools receiving federal funds have a responsibility to protect all students,” she said, questioning whether Columbia should continue receiving government support.
Trump’s latest attack on the education system follows past threats to cut funding over diversity programs, transgender athletes, and Covid-19 mandates. He has also floated the idea of dismantling the Department of Education altogether, returning control to individual states.
With the 2024 election looming, Trump’s hardline stance on schools is becoming a rallying cry for his base—signaling that under a second term, America’s classrooms could become yet another battleground in his war on “woke” policies.
