Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, indicated that the Trump administration plans to address antisemitism on U.S. college campuses through federal investigations and legal actions carried out by the Justice Department, FBI, and the attorney general.
Speaking on the Cats Roundtable radio show, Cruz stated that under the incoming administration, New York and other regions would witness a federal crackdown on antisemitism at universities. He emphasized that federal agencies would launch investigations and prosecutions, signaling a more aggressive approach to protecting Jewish students.
Trump administration plans legal actions targeting antisemitism in higher education
His remarks followed an October report from House Republicans on the Education Committee, which investigated antisemitism on campuses for nearly a year. This investigation contributed to the resignation of two university presidents and highlighted issues at institutions tolerating antisemitic behavior.
Cruz mentioned specific universities, such as Columbia University and NYU, criticizing their responses to antisemitic incidents. He argued that universities in liberal states have permitted and even encouraged such conduct but predicted the Justice Department would now enforce civil rights laws more stringently.
The congressional investigation, spurred by Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023, was unprecedented in subpoenaing university leadership. It revealed alarming findings: universities often made excessive concessions to protesters, neglected Jewish students, failed to discipline antisemitic acts, and resisted the probe itself.
University leaders from prominent schools like Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania faced a House hearing after criticism of their responses to protests against the war in Gaza. The session aimed to hold these leaders accountable and address campus antisemitism.
Donald Trump, however, faced backlash during his campaign for comments made at an event on combating antisemitism, where he implied Jewish voters might bear partial responsibility if he lost the election in November.
