After Trump threatened Columbia University with the loss of $400 million in federal funding, the university folded. But Trump's threat was almost surely illegal.

Katrina Armstrong, who took over as interim president at Columbia in August, resigned amid a tumultuous year for the university.

The head of Columbia University resigned on Friday following fierce criticism of the Ivy League institution’s decision to cede to President Donald Trump’s demands for reforms. Katrina Armstrong, who was appointed after her predecessor Minouche Shafik stepped down last August,

The resignation comes after Columbia caved to demands from Trump, who claims the school failed to fight antisemitism.

Columbia University's interim president, Katrina Armstrong, is stepping aside and the co-chair of its board of trustees, Claire Shipman, has been named acting president, the university said in a statement on Friday.

Columbia University appointed a new acting president Friday. Katrina Armstrong, who had been serving as the interim president since August 2024, will be returning to her previous position as the CEO of Columbia's Irving Medical Center.

It’s the first application cycle since pro-Palestinian protests swept the campus and the University found itself in the crosshairs of the Trump Administration.

Katrina Armstrong is leaving the post a week after the university agreed to a list of demands from the White House.

The Trump administration has proposed cuts to research and labs across the country; targeted certain schools with diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; and signed an executive order to eliminate the U.