Republican lawmakers, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), held a press conference at Columbia University on Wednesday to condemn antisemitism and the pro-Palestine demonstrations taking place on campus. The GOP group, which also included Reps. Virginia Foxx (N.C.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Anthony D’Esposito (N.Y.) and Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.), traveled to the Manhattan campus to address the ongoing protests, which have seen pro-Palestine demonstrators refuse to leave their encampment until the school agrees to divest from Israel and companies associated with its war effort against Hamas.
The lawmakers were met with loud heckling and interruptions from protesters throughout the press conference. Johnson accused the demonstrators of “placing a target on the backs of Jewish students” and “chanting in support of terrorists.” He also denounced the treatment of Jewish students on campus, saying that they have been “chased down,” “mocked,” and “reviled.” D’Esposito told protesters that they were “part of the problem” if they supported Hamas, while Lawler called for the group to “surrender” and “release the hostages.”
Despite the interruptions, Johnson called on Columbia University President Nemat Shafik to resign and vowed that Congress would not remain silent as Jewish students are forced to live in fear on campus. The university has since announced that it will shift to hybrid learning for the remainder of the semester due to the ongoing protests.
