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Appearing on CNN's “State of the Union” Sunday, McMahon
described “great conversations” with Columbia's interim
president, Katrina Armstrong.
“She said she knew that this was her responsibility to make sure
that children on her campus were safe,” McMahon said. “She
wanted to make sure there was no discrimination of any kind. She
wanted to address any systemic issues that were identified
relative to the antisemitism on campus.”
Armstrong announced Friday that the university would put its
Middle East studies department under new supervision and
overhaul its rules for protests and student discipline. It also
agreed to adopt a new definition of antisemitism and expand
“intellectual diversity” by staffing up its Institute for Israel
and Jewish Studies, according to an outline posted on its
website.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration pulled $400 million
in research grants and other funding over how the university
handled protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. In
order to consider restoring those funds and billions more in
future grants, federal officials demanded nine separate changes
to the university's academic and security policies.
Armstrong's decision acceding to the administration's demands
drew condemnation from some faculty and free speech groups, who
accused the university of caving to President Donald Trump’s
largely unprecedented intrusion on academic freedom.
Asked whether the university had done enough to secure its
funding, McMahon said: “We are on the right track now to make
sure the final negotiations to unfreeze that money will be in
place.”
The Trump administration's crackdown on Columbia University,
where a massive pro-Palestinian protest movement began with a
tent encampment last spring, has thrust the campus into crisis
and sparked fears of similar actions at colleges across the
country.
Federal immigration officials on March 8 arrested Mahmoud Khalil,
an activist who served as a spokesperson and negotiator for
pro-Palestinian demonstrators last year. Khalil, a legal
permanent resident, is challenging his detention and potential
deportation in court.
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