May 2nd 2024.
President Joe Biden has been keeping quiet about the ongoing student protests and police actions, as Republicans attempt to use the unrest on college campuses surrounding the conflict in Gaza as a way to attack Democrats. The tension has been building for several days now, with some protesters refusing to leave their encampments and university administrators turning to law enforcement to forcibly remove them. This has resulted in clashes that have captured the attention of both politicians and the media.
However, President Biden's last public comment on the matter was over a week ago, when he denounced "antisemitic protests" and those who do not understand the situation with the Palestinians. The White House, which has been bombarded with questions from reporters, has only provided slightly more information. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated on Wednesday that President Biden is closely monitoring the situation, and that some protests have crossed the line from free speech to unlawful behavior.
Jean-Pierre also made it clear that forcibly taking over buildings, such as what occurred at Columbia University in New York, is not a peaceful form of protest. "It's just not," she stated. President Biden has never been one to participate in protests himself. He began his career in elected office at the young age of 28 as a county official, and has always emphasized the importance of compromise over extreme actions.
During the tumultuous period of student protests against the Vietnam War in 1968, Biden was studying at Syracuse University's law school. "I'm not one for flak jackets and tie-dyed shirts," he later remarked. "That's just not who I am." Despite the criticism from the White House and Biden's refusal to meet the demands of the protesters to cut off US support for Israel, Republicans continue to blame the Democrats for the chaos, using it as a backdrop for their press conferences.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, stated on Tuesday, "We need the President of the United States to address this issue and say that it is wrong." Johnson and other members of his caucus even visited Columbia University last week. Meanwhile, House Republicans clashed with protesters while speaking to the media at George Washington University on Wednesday. Even former President Donald Trump, the presumptive nominee for the Republican party, criticized Biden during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News. "Biden needs to do something," he stated. "He's supposed to be the voice of our country, and it's certainly not much of a voice. Nobody has heard from him."
Trump repeated his criticisms during a campaign event in Wisconsin on Wednesday, stating, "Radical extremists and far-left agitators are terrorizing college campuses, as you may have noticed. And Biden is nowhere to be found. He hasn't said anything." However, Kate Berner, who served as the deputy communications director for Biden's 2020 campaign, pointed out that Republicans had already tried this tactic four years ago during the protests over George Floyd's murder by a police officer. "People rejected it," she stated. "They saw that it was just fear-mongering and not based in reality."
Aside from condemning antisemitism, the White House has been hesitant to directly address the issue. Jean-Pierre repeatedly evaded questions during a press briefing on Monday, stating that universities and colleges make their own decisions. When asked about potential disciplinary action against the protesters, she stated, "We're not going to comment on that." When questioned about the involvement of law enforcement, she replied, "That is up to the colleges and universities." And when pressed about rescheduling graduation ceremonies, she stated, "That is a decision that they need to make. It's on them."
President Biden is scheduled to make his own visit to a college campus on May 19, when he will deliver the commencement address at Morehouse University in Atlanta.
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