Columbia University’s New President’s Controversial Comments on Campus Antisemitism

Columbia University’s new president, Claire Shipman, is facing backlash after leaked text messages revealed her dismissive attitude towards Congressional hearings on campus antisemitism. Shipman, a former CNN White House correspondent and co-chair of the University’s board of trustees, referred to the hearings as “Capitol Hill nonsense” in a message to then-president Minouche Shafik.

The hearings, which took place in December 2023, saw university presidents from Harvard, Penn, and MIT testifying about campus protests against the war in Gaza. Shipman’s text messages were included in a 325-page report from the Republican House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which detailed Columbia’s leaders’ contempt for the investigation.

The tense hearings led to resignations at Harvard and Penn, with university officials facing tough questions about their schools’ policies on bullying and harassment. Shipman also suggested reinstating student groups involved in the protests to “take the wind out of that.”

Shipman’s appointment as president comes after interim president Katrina Armstrong’s resignation, the second in less than a year over the university’s handling of campus protests. Armstrong had reportedly agreed to implement a mask ban during protests to secure federal funding, leading to further controversy.

The Trump administration has threatened to pull $400 million in federal grants to Columbia over allegations of antisemitism, adding to the turmoil surrounding the university’s leadership. Shipman and Columbia have not yet commented on the leaked text messages or the ongoing controversy.