President Donald Trump threatened to pull funding from campuses that permit “illegal protests,” said he would deport foreigners involved in those protests and appeared to endorse a ban on masks at demonstrations.
The threat, made on social media, came a day after his administration said it was considering stopping more than $50 million in federal contracts with Columbia University over its “ongoing inaction in the face of relentless harassment of Jewish students.”
Columbia has faced bipartisan criticism after pro-Palestinian protesters recently occupied a building at Barnard College and injured a school employee.
The president published the post hours before his speech to Congress on Tuesday.
“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
The post repeated a number of threats or pledges Trump made during his presidential campaign and since taking office in January.
Taking 'actions to remove' terror backers
He has repeatedly taken aim at schools’ funding, either by threatening massive fines or a cut to federal grants. An executive order he signed instructed the administration to take “actions to remove” non-citizen students who endorse terrorism.
In endorsing a mask ban, Trump has joined a coalition of organizations pushing such measures in New York City and elsewhere.
Proponents say mask bans at public gatherings prevent people from shielding their identity while breaking the law or harassing others. Opponents of the bans say they contravene free speech and the right to protest.
Legislation banning “masked harassment” has been introduced in New York’s state legislature. A number of Jewish groups support the mask ban, and Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt touted the idea at the group’s conference this week.