House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) squared off with pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University on Wednesday and issued a stern warning. Campuses which cannot rein in the increasingly violent anti-semitic demonstrations risk losing federal funding.
The Republican, who faces internal pressure from within his party over Ukraine funding and protection from warrantless domestic spying, reassured the university’s Jewish community.
He told the audience, “Today I’m here to proclaim to all those who gnash their teeth and demand to wipe the State of Israel off the map, and attack our innocent Jewish students this simple truth: Neither Israel nor these Jewish students on this campus will ever stand alone.”
Chants of “free Palestine” from left-wing agitators attempted to drown out the Speaker’s message. But he persisted.
Johnson noted that Jewish students at Columbia are forced to flee for their safety and hide at home to escape the extremist demonstrators. He declared that anti-semitism is on the rise and people in power refuse to condemn it.
Hot Topic: Our panel reacts to growing anti-Israel protests across college campuses as House Speaker Mike Johnson gets heckled at Columbia University pic.twitter.com/pggAfNn3cs
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Earlier Wednesday morning, Johnson told radio host Hugh Hewitt that Columbia President Minouche Shafik should resign if she cannot suppress anti-Jewish protests.
The Speaker described Shafik as “a very weak, inept leader” and declared she “lost control of this campus.” The school is unable to ensure the safety of Jewish students from radical mobs, and Johnson asked if they should instead be expected to simply stay out of class to protect themselves.”
Johnson met with Shafik later in the day to express his concerns in what must have been a contentious event.
He later endorsed President Joe Biden considering deploying the National Guard to protect Columbia’s Jewish population. “My intention is to call President Biden after we leave here and share with him what we have seen with our own two eyes and demand that he take action.”
One of Johnson’s GOP colleagues echoed his disgust at the Columbia administration.
House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) is investigating the explosion of radical anti-semitism on college campuses. She declared, “I have a message for President Shafik, and a message for you all too: The inmates are running the asylum.”
