After being criticized for burying previous comments on the surge of pro-terrorist unrest on American campuses at the end of his written Passover statement, President Joe Biden abruptly made public remarks about "what's going on on our college campuses" Thursday morning.
The president said the shameful scenes have "put to the test two fundamental American principles: the right to free speech and for people to peacefully assemble...[and that] the rule of law must be upheld."
"We are not an authoritarian nation" and America is "not a lawless country," Biden continued. "We are a civil society and order must prevail," he commanded — seemingly forgetting his silence (and his VP's support for a bail fund supporting rioters) about unrest and violence in the summer of 2020.
After being dragged for burying previous comments in his written Passover statement, Biden finally speaks on the pro-Hamas demonstrations taking over college campuses across the country:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 2, 2024
"Let me be clear...violent protest is not protected, peaceful protest is...vandalism,… pic.twitter.com/usFLgA0TOX
In this case, and a bit late to the party, Biden stated that "destroying property is not a peaceful protest" nor are "vandalism," "trespassing," "breaking windows," "shutting down campuses" or "forcing the canceling of classes and graduation...none of this is a peaceful protest," he said.
"This is not a peaceful protest," Biden declared, not mentioning any specific campus or incident. The president said the pro-Hamas agitators are "instilling fear in people" and said that "dissent must never lead to disorder."
The "right to protest" mentioned earlier is "not the right to cause chaos," Biden added, saying students have the "right to walk across the campus safely" without fear of being "attacked."
There is "no place on any campus for antisemitism" or "Islamophobia" and "no place for racism in America," continued Biden as he called the rabidly antisemitic and anti-Israel displays "unAmerican."
BIDEN: "There should be no place on any campus, no place in America, for antisemitism or threats of violence against Jewish students. There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether it's antisemitism, Islamophobia, or discrimination against Arab Americans or… pic.twitter.com/I6T8cK0RHc
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 2, 2024
"In America, we respect the right for them to express that, but it doesn't mean anything goes," Biden reminded of demonstrations he said need to be done "without violence, without destruction, without hate, and within the law."
For good measure, Biden said he would "always defend free speech," despite his administration being caught colluding with big tech companies to censor Americans' online discourse about vitally important topics.
When asked following his remarks if the pro-terrorist unrest on campuses had made him reconsider his policies toward Israel, Biden responded "no." He also said he did not believe — despite all he'd just said about the chaos on campuses — that the National Guard should intervene to restore order.
REPORTER: "Have the protests forced you to reconsider any of the policies with regard to the region?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 2, 2024
BIDEN: "No."
SECOND REPORTER: "Do you think the National Guard should intervene?"
BIDEN: "No." pic.twitter.com/yAokh6zcvT
While Thursday's remarks are Biden's strongest on the topic, he still didn't go as far as he did in his angry tirade in September 2022, bathed in red light in front of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, when he labeled Trump supporters enemies of democracy.
The castigation of pro-Hamas students targeting Jewish peers from Biden is sure to cause heartburn at his reelection campaign HQ as fears of lagging support among key voting groups have dictated White House policy. Earlier this week, a dueling pro-Hamas v. pro-Israel protest at the University of Alabama united for a brief moment to chant "f**k Joe Biden," in one showing of the waning support Biden is facing among key voting groups — in this case, campus leftists — with November's election approaching.
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