Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell took a measured approach Thursday on how to handle it pro-Palestinian demonstrations lashed out at college campuses, saying he would wait to see if college presidents “can get the situation under control” before taking stronger action.
McConnell made the comments in an interview with “Face the Nation” moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.
Demonstrations against US support for Israel they have exploded on campuses across the country, particularly at Ivy League institutions Columbia University and Yale University, which have been plagued by accusations of anti-Semitism. Protesters have been arrested on both campuses.
House Speaker Mike Johnson met with Jewish students at Columbia University Wednesday, and although he was met with loud boos, he told CBS News it was time to call in the National Guard. After protests at the University of Texas at Austin, the Texas National Guard said it was “aware and ready” to respond to Wednesday's protests that led to dozens of arrests. Gov. Greg Abbott says he believes “all protesters” belong in prison.
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Brennan asked McConnell if he agrees with Johnson, Abbott and their allies.
“Well, here's the way I see it,” McConnell replied. “The First Amendment is important, but it doesn't give you the ability to say there's a fire in the theater because it threatens everybody else. What needs to happen, at least initially, is that these college presidents need to take control. of the situation, allow freedom of expression and reject anti-Semitism, I thought that had largely disappeared in this country, but we have seen a number of young people who are actually anti-Semitic civil conversation instead of trying dominate the conversation And I think the first line of defense is these college presidents.”
Brennan pushed McConnell to clarify whether he would not call for the National Guard to step in at this time.
“Let's see if these college presidents can get the situation under control,” McConnell reiterated. “They should be able to do that. Civil discussion is what college education is supposed to be about. I'd be interested to hear anti-Semitic people explain the rationale for this kind of talk.”
McConnell's GOP counterpart in the House, Johnson, said Wednesday that he met briefly with Columbia University President Nemat Shafik and other top university officials. Afterward, Johnson, steps from the Columbia University campus, called for Shafik's resignation if he could not immediately end the protests.
“Our feeling is that they have not acted to restore order on campus,” Johnson said Wednesday. “This is dangerous. This is not free speech. This is not the First Amendment. They are threatening, intimidating.”
Watch more of the interview with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at 10:30 a.m. ET Sunday on “Face the Nation.”
