US House Speaker Mike Johnson is calling for the resignation of Columbia University’s president and is threatening to pull funding amidst the university’s weeklong anti-Israel protests.
“I am here today joining my colleagues and calling on President Shafik to resign if she cannot immediately bring order to this chaos,” Johnson said on the steps of Columbia’s Low Library on Wednesday. “As speaker of the House, I’m committing today that the Congress will not be silent as Jewish students are expected to run for their lives and stay home from their classes hiding in fear.”
Johnson also alluded to the possibility of deploying the National Guard if threats and intimidation on campuses are not promptly dealt with. He also suggested that campuses failing to address the problem may lose taxpayer funding and mentioned that House Republicans plan to draft legislation tackling the issue.
In an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” earlier that day, Johnson described the protests as “unconscionable,” stating, “This President Shafik has shown to be a very weak, inept leader. They cannot even guarantee the safety of Jewish students? They’re expected to run for their lives and stay home from class? It’s just, it’s maddening. What we’re seeing on these college campuses across the country is disgusting and unacceptable.”
The latest protests at Columbia began a week ago when anti-Israel protesters set up a tent encampment on campus grounds, with demonstrations growing more explicitly antisemitic despite the arrest of over a hundred protesters. CNN reports that Jewish students and alumni have expressed grave concerns about their safety on campus. On Saturday, the Chabad rabbi of Columbia University and a group of Jewish students were forced to leave campus for their own safety during a pro-Hamas demonstration.
