What happened?
- Student protests over Israel’s war with Hamas are increasing on college campuses across the United States, with pro-Palestinian students organizing demonstrations at universities like Columbia, Humboldt, Emerson, and UC Berkeley.
- Over 100 Columbia students involved in pro-Palestinian protests were arrested and suspended, and reports of antisemitic incidents at the university have drawn condemnation.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson faced boos and interruptions during a visit to Columbia University, where pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted his press conference.
What is conservative media saying:
- House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., appeared unrattled by anti-Israel protesters attempting to shout down his speech at Columbia University, and he expressed satisfaction with speaking out in solidarity with Jewish students. (Fox News)
- New York GOP Reps. Mike Lawler and Anthony D’Esposito criticized protesters at Columbia University for supporting Hamas terrorists, calling them an “abomination.” (The New York Post)
- Johnson believed Columbia protesters were unaware of the issues they were protesting and denied facts about Hamas and major terror attacks, and he called on Columbia University president Minouche Shafik to resign, criticizing her as a weak leader who cannot ensure the safety of Jewish students on campus. (Fox News, The New York Post, RealClearPolitics)
- Republicans warned that universities failing to address issues like antisemitism risk losing federal funding, and criticized Columbia administrators for their handling of protests and failure to protect students from harassment. (The New York Post)
What is liberal media saying:
- House Speaker Mike Johnson called for Columbia University’s president to resign due to allegations of hatred and antisemitism on campus, condemned protesters as antisemitic, and threatened to cut federal funding for colleges that do not ensure the safety of Jewish students. (CNN, The New York Times, NBC News)
- Johnson criticized the lack of action by the university president to address the chaos and planned to contact President Biden to address the unrest, while student organizers believed he was mislabeling them as antisemitic and accused him of being an opportunist. (CNN, Mother Jones)
- The Republican leader, often seen as the last Reagan Republican, pushed back on rising forces in his party against American intervention in foreign affairs, and was called to the Oval Office by President Biden to discuss a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, which has passed Congress and awaits Biden’s signature. (The New York Times, The Washington Post)
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