House Speaker Mike Johnson waded into hostile scenes at Columbia University as the Republican confronted a crowd of anti-Israel protesters on Wednesday.
Johnson brushed off the boos and jeers from students and instead condemned the protest, the latest in the “virus of anti-Semitism.”
He labeled the Columbia crowd “lawless agitators and radicals” and questioned their ability to become “leaders of America” — while praising Jewish students who remain committed to their education.
“We will not remain silent while Jewish students are expected to run for their lives,” Johnson warned.
The crowd shouted and jeered in an attempt to upset him, but Johnson was unperturbed.
‘Enjoy your freedom of speech!’ he replied as he left before delivering one final punch, “Stop wasting your parents’ money.”
Johnson brushed off the boos and jeers from students and instead condemned the protest, the latest in the “virus of anti-Semitism.”
The Louisiana lawmaker arrived on the New York campus Wednesday afternoon, hours after calling on Columbia’s president to resign during a morning radio show.
“What we’re seeing on these college campuses across the country is disgusting and unacceptable,” Johnson told The Hugh Hewitt Show.
“Every leader in this country, every political official, every citizen of good conscience must speak out and say this is not who we are in America, and we must be held accountable.”
His decision to challenge protesters in New York came two days after more than 100 pro-Palestinian students and faculty were arrested by the NYPD in furious scenes on the nearby New York University (NYU) campus.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson (pictured Saturday) will confront pro-Palestinian protesters on the campus of Columbia University, hours after calling for the university’s president to resign
Columbia is one of dozens of colleges that have become involved in protests between Israel and Hamas in recent weeks
So-called “Gaza encampments” have become a common sight on college campuses across the country, where students set up tents and refuse to move despite law enforcement.
Columbia is one of dozens of colleges that have been embroiled in protests between Israel and Hamas, while other prestigious universities, including Harvard and MIT, have been thrown into chaos.
So-called “Gaza encampments” have become a common sight on campuses in recent weeks, with students setting up tents and refusing to move despite law enforcement.
For Johnson, his visit to Columbia University came as a clear sign of his support for Israel in the ongoing conflict, after he passed a sweeping foreign aid bill that sent $26 billion to Israel.
He would also meet Jewish students on campus and share a meal with the university’s Rabbi Yuda Drizin.
After his meeting, Johnson’s office said he would hold a news conference, where he was expected to double down on his call for Columbia President Nemat Shafik to resign.
During the morning radio show, he branded her “unscrupulous,” adding that she “has shown herself to be a very weak, inept leader.”
‘They can’t even guarantee the safety of Jewish students? Are they expected to run for their lives and stay home from class? It’s just, it’s, it’s maddening,” he said.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives has also called for an end to federal funding for universities that fail to quell anti-Israel protests.
Johnson’s decision to challenge protesters in New York came two days after more than 100 pro-Palestinian students and faculty were arrested by the NYPD in furious scenes on the nearby New York University (NYU) campus (pictured)
Johnson’s visit was not welcomed by not just those on Columbia’s campus, as New York Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters on Wednesday that he should remain in Washington.
“I think that politicizing this and bringing in the entourage to put this in the spotlight only deepens the division,” Hochul said.
“A speaker worthy of this title should actually be trying to heal people and not divide them, so I don’t think it adds anything.”