In a controversial speech at Columbia University, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) condemned ongoing student protests against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, drawing a chorus of boos from the crowd. Amidst the uproar, Johnson tersely remarked, “Enjoy your free speech,” before pausing his prepared remarks to wait for the jeering to subside. The university campus has been embroiled in controversy since student protesters erected a tent encampment last Wednesday to protest the war in Gaza. The demonstrations sparked national attention due to reports of antisemitic speech targeting Jewish students, leading Columbia President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik to authorize the New York Police Department to sweep the encampment last Thursday. Despite claims by Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, a group involved in organizing the protests, that any hate speech did not originate from its members, Johnson called for President Shafik’s resignation if she couldn’t quell the protests. Furthermore, he threatened to urge President Joe Biden to take executive action if necessary, including deploying the National Guard. Biden has previously condemned both the reported antisemitism and those who “don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.” Johnson’s speech followed Biden’s recent signing of a long-awaited foreign aid bill for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. The bill had been stalled in the House for weeks due to political gridlock, but Johnson’s decision to put it to a vote last Saturday, despite opposition from hardline GOP members, helped revive the measure. After working with Democrats to pass the aid bill, Johnson’s Columbia speech appeared to be an attempt to bolster his conservative credentials among his hardline GOP colleagues. He was joined by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). In his speech, Johnson addressed the protesting students inside the encampment, urging them to return to class and stop wasting their parents’ money.
Speaker Mike Johnson’s Columbia Speech: Condemning Gaza Protests, Calling for President Shafik’s Resignation
