Trump launches task force following alleged anti-semitic violence at UW

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it has created a task force to investigate alleged acts of antisemitic violence at the University of Washington (UW) and its affiliated institutions.

The decision is in direct response to a protest in which demonstrators occupied a campus building before starting fires on campus, according to The New York Post.

Four protesters appeared in court this week after a standoff and mass arrests at the UW’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, where demonstrators demanded UW end its relationship with Boeing over defense contracts.

The task force is a multi-agency group established by President Donald Trump in February, which announced that the university must take additional steps to prevent further incidents and ensure that Jewish students can learn in a secure and supportive environment.

Trump task force probes UW protest

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon condemned the protest, calling it a horrifying display of antisemitic harassment and lawlessness.

“This kind of destructive behavior is unacceptable,” McMahon said. “The Task Force is committed to ensuring that such actions do not deprive students, particularly Jewish students, of their civil rights and campus safety.”

The protest began on May 5, with around 75 people barricading the building and allegedly vandalizing property and starting a dumpster fire, prompting a police response. Thirty-two people were arrested, with a judge later ordering the first four defendants to stay out of the building unless attending or teaching classes.

Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER UW), the group behind the protest, criticized Boeing’s influence on campus due to its donations and role in the Gaza conflict.

Josh Gruenbaum, a member of the Trump administration’s antisemitism task force and Commissioner of the General Services Administration, condemned the incident.

“What happened at UW reflects a broader failure by institutions to protect their communities from radical harassment,” Gruenbaum said. “While we are grateful to local law enforcement for intervening, the university must also be held accountable for fostering an environment where antisemitism can take root.”