Speaker Johnson Visits Columbia Amid Protests, Calls on President to Resign

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) visited Columbia University on Wednesday as the campus continues to grapple with unrest and protests over the Israel-Hamas conflict. 

For Context: Pro-Palestine student protesters at Columbia have set up an encampment on the campus grounds. Last week, New York police arrested over 100 protesting students as Columbia President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik testified before a House committee.

Details: Earlier on Wednesday, Johnson called on Columbia President Shafik to resign, calling her a “very weak, inept leader.” Johnson met with a group of Jewish students, then addressed reporters and protesters, where he was greeted with boos and jeers from the protesters. 

Key Quotes: Speaking to the media, Johnson stated, “Today Hamas issued an endorsement statement of the protesters on this campus. They called them the future leaders of America. It is detestable. All of this has to be said because the cherished traditions of this university are being overtaken right now by radical and extreme ideologies. They place a target on the backs of Jewish students in the United States and here on this campus. A growing number of students have chanted in support of terrorists, they have chased down Jewish students, they have mocked them and reviled them, they have shouted racial epithets, they have screamed at those who bear the star of David.”

How the Media Covered It: The Daily Caller (Right bias) framed Johnson as defiant in the face of the heckling protesters, reporting that the protesters were “unable to shut him down.”