NYT: How Trump Extorted $200M From Columbia U

The New York Times reports:

In May, cabinet officials and West Wing aides brought President Trump a potential settlement with Columbia University. But instead of giving his sign-off, he issued a new demand.  The school needed to pay $200 million, Mr. Trump told his team. The university’s cost for a deal soared from zero dollars to nine figures in the course of a single meeting. The sudden stipulation, described by six people familiar with the episode and which has not been previously reported, jarred university leaders.

They had seen the fierce backlash that followed when major law firms struck deals with the White House and promised to pour resources into seemingly benign causes favored by Mr. Trump. And although negotiations were still unfolding, they had already spent weeks working through policy changes intended to meet the administration’s original dictates around addressing antisemitism on campus. Still, eager to maintain $1.3 billion in annual federal grant funding, Columbia ultimately agreed to the price.

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Trump Wants Universities to Show Him the Money, or No Deal

President Trump has personally stipulated that hefty financial penalties be part of agreements his administration is negotiating with the elite universities. Critics call it extortion.https://t.co/m3qJDw4J03

— Ashis Basu 🇨🇦 ashis.bluesky.social (@BasuAshis) August 19, 2025