Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., called for the dismissal of college administrators over their handling of the pro-Palestinian protests on campuses nationwide, many of which have resulted in arrests and violent clashes with police.
During a Wednesday press event, Barrasso criticized university leaders for their failure to quell the protests and clear the encampments that have interrupted academic life at schools across the country.
"When you have college, university presidents, administrators, who put extremism ahead of education, they deserve to lose their jobs," Barrasso said.
The anti-Israel mobs have denied Jewish students the opportunity for an education, the senator said, and they "are hearing the kind of threats that their great-grandparents heard in Nazi Germany."
"Jewish students have actually been chased out of the classroom and off campus, and yet university administrators, they cater to the mobs," he said. "The pro-Hamas terrorists have been out there shutting down classrooms, and they have canceled classes today at UCLA. Commencements have been canceled."
The Wyoming Republican also slammed the Democrats and President Joe Biden for putting political interests ahead of student safety and said universities that won't protect their students should be defunded.
"So, Joe Biden and the national Democrats try to downplay this un-American activity," he said. "That's dangerous and it's wrong. We have laws in this country to protect against violence, to protect students. Students have a right to be protected — Jewish students, all students, on campus — [have a right to be protected] from harassment, from discrimination."
"If not, those colleges should lose their federal funding," he continued. "But Joe Biden would rather waffle than act. And why is that? Why does he bow down to these pro-Hamas protesters? It's because of the election coming up, and he knows he needs their votes. That's absolutely wrong.
"What the president ought to be doing is applying the law, returning order to campuses, and getting students back into the classroom."
In a predawn Thursday morning raid, police stormed the central plaza of the University of California at Los Angeles to dismantle a pro-Palestinian student encampment of an estimated 300 to 500 protesters who refused to leave.
As the demonstrations escalate across U.S. campuses, Biden has remained relatively tight-lipped amid warnings from rank-and-filed Democrats that young voters could desert him over his position on Israel.
Nsé Ufot, founder of the New South super PAC, warned Democrats risk losing the support of young voters if they don't listen to their anger over what's happening in Gaza.
"The narrative has changed," Ufot said. "They should listen to their base."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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