House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has suggested that the National Guard should be called in immediately to quell the Gaza ceasefire protests at Columbia University if they do not do so on their own.
Johnson and several House Republicans visited the Ivy League school in New York City on Wednesday amid heightened tensions over a demonstration in which several Jewish students publicly voiced fears for their safety. Students at Columbia University and those attending its sister school, Barnard College, set up a tent city on campus to protest Columbia’s investments in Israeli-related companies.
During Mr Johnson’s speech, pro-ceasefire student activists repeatedly jeered and shouted, “I can’t hear you” and “Mike, you… -.”
At one point early on, Mr Johnson fired back at demonstrators, telling them to “enjoy your freedom of speech”.
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Speaker Mike Johnson did not rule out the possibility that the National Guard might be needed to quell the Gaza ceasefire protests at Columbia University. (Getty Images)
Later, when asked if he would encourage President Biden to call the National Guard to campus, Johnson said he would talk to the president soon, but did not rule out the possibility of sending in federal troops.
“My intention is to call President Biden after we leave here and share what we have seen with our own eyes and demand that he take action if this is not contained quickly. “We have appropriate executive authority. If these threats and intimidation do not stop, the National Guard has the right time,” Johnson said.
“We have to bring order to these campuses. We cannot allow things like this to happen across the country. We are better than this.”
Mr Johnson attacked the demonstrators as a “riot” and particularly criticized professors and other teachers who took part in the protests.
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Anti-Israel agitators set up an encampment on the Columbia University campus on Monday, April 22, 2024, in New York City. (Peter Garber)
He also reiterated his call for Columbia University President Minoush Shafik, whom he spoke with before the press conference, to resign from earlier this morning.
“I’m here today with my colleagues to call on President Shafik to resign if he can’t immediately bring order to this chaos,” Johnson said, prompting further jeers. “As Speaker of the House, I pledged today that Congress would not be silent while Jewish students are expected to run for their lives and skip classes in fear.”
As students continued to scream in the crowd, he addressed the protesters directly, condemning their activities as un-American and criticizing censorship.
“College campuses used to be a place for respectful debate and disagreements to be discussed in a free marketplace of ideas. That’s not happening here,” Johnson said. “You intimidate and yell at people who disagree with you.”
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Prime Minister Johnson indicated after the press conference that he may raise the issue with President Biden. (Joe Radle/Getty Images)
“You can’t censor or silence views you don’t agree with. That’s not American, but you don’t understand what it means to respect the First Amendment,” Johnson said. As he approached, the jeers grew louder.
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“My message to the students in the garrison is to go back to class and stop acting stupid,” he said. “If you want to debate the merits of things on campus, do it. But you can’t threaten other students or make them skip class. Think about it. Do you think so? “right? “
Fox News Digital contacted the White House about Johnson’s comments regarding the National Guard.
