WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will speak about student protests over the war in Gaza on Thursday, according to a White House official, breaking days of silence as police crack down on campus encampments.
“Forcibly taking over a building,” such as what happened at Columbia University in New York, “is not peaceful,” she said.
As college campuses convulsed with anger over the Vietnam War in 1968, Biden was in law school at Syracuse University.
House Republicans sparred with protesters while speaking to the media at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
Former President Donald Trump, his party’s presumptive nominee, also criticized Biden in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.
“Biden is supposed to be the voice of our country, and it’s certainly not much of a voice.
They saw that it wasn’t based in reality.” Apart from condemning antisemitism, the White House has been reluctant to directly engage on the issue.
___ Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami and White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Breaking his days of quiet as police crack down on campus encampments, President Joe Biden will address student protests against the war in Gaza on Thursday, a White House official announced.
In advance of Biden’s remarks, the official asked not to be named.
Republicans have attempted to use unrest scenes as a political football to attack Democrats.
For days, tensions have been rising at colleges and universities as protestors refuse to disperse and administrators resort to using force to remove them. This has resulted in altercations that have drawn the attention of politicians and the media.
However, more than a week ago, Biden made his last statement in public, denouncing “antisemitic protests” and “those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”. “.
Reporters have asked the White House a lot of questions, but they have only gotten a little further than the president. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that Biden is “watching the situation closely” and that some protesters had crossed the line from free speech to illegal activity.
She declared that “forcibly taking over a building,” like what occurred at New York’s Columbia University, “is not peaceful.”. It simply isn’t. “.
Biden has never been one to take part in demonstrations. At the age of 28, he started his career in politics as a county official, and he has consistently advocated for compromise over zealousness.
When Biden was a law student at Syracuse University in 1968, the country was gripped by unrest over the Vietnam War.
Years afterwards, he declared, “I’m not big on flak jackets and tie-dyed shirts.”. That’s not me, you know. ‷.
As the protesters demanded that Biden cut off U.S. assistance, the White House criticized the move. s. Republicans have utilized the chaos as a stage for press conferences, blaming Democrats for it and expressing support for Israel.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, stated on Tuesday that “we need the president of the United States to speak to the issue and say this is wrong.”. “Incorrect things are currently taking place on college campuses. “.
Johnson traveled to Columbia last week along with other members of his caucus. At George Washington University in Washington, D.C., House Republicans argued with demonstrators while addressing the media. , this Wednesday.
In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, the presumed nominee of his party, former President Donald Trump, also disparaged Biden.
He declared, “Biden has to take action.”. Biden’s voice, which is meant to represent our nation, is undoubtedly lacking in volume. It’s a voice no one has ever heard. “.
On Wednesday, at a campaign event in Waukesha, Wisconsin, he reiterated his criticisms.
As you have probably noticed, Trump said, “radical extremists and far-left agitators are terrorizing college campuses.”. And Biden has vanished from sight. He has not made a statement. “.
Republicans tried the same strategy four years prior during demonstrations in response to George Floyd’s death at the hands of a police officer, according to Kate Berner, the deputy director of communications for Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.
She said, “People didn’t accept that.”. They realized it was all a ruse to incite fear. They observed that it was not grounded in truth. “.
The White House has not taken a strong stance against antisemitism and has avoided discussing it openly.
During a Monday briefing, Jean-Pierre repeatedly sidestepped questions.
When asked if protestors ought to face disciplinary action from their schools, she responded, “Universities and colleges make their own decisions,” adding, “We’re not going to weigh in from here.”. “.
When asked if the colleges and universities should call the police, she responded, “That’s up to them.”. “.
When asked if administrators could reschedule graduation ceremonies, she responded, “That is a decision that they have to decide” and “that is on them.”. “.
As he is scheduled to give the commencement speech at Morehouse University in Atlanta on May 19, Biden will pay his own visit to a college campus.
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