Submitted by United States Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana
WASHINGTON (May 1, 2024) – Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and colleagues in calling on officials to end the antisemitic protests and violence that continue to infect on college campuses.
Key remarks from the senator are below:
“What we’re seeing at some of our college campuses is a rule by the mob. That’s what many of you—not all of you, but many [members of the press]—would call a ‘threat to democracy’ if it were being perpetuated by Republicans. Democrats seem to be able to do it without consequence.”
“We shouldn’t paint with too broad a brush. Some of our universities have done a good job. I’ll mention three: Vanderbilt, Tulane and the University of Florida. They have done a good job in dealing with this rule by the mob because of their leadership. The presidents of those three universities are passionate advocates of free speech. They understand that the Constitution protects free speech against government, but it does not protect disruptive behavior.
“And they understand the First Amendment to the Constitution makes a distinction between speech and behavior, and it’s not complicated. . . . I want to thank them. I think the president of Columbia could learn a lot from them.
“I think much of the problem comes from members—some members, not all, but some members—of these universities’ faculty. There are members of the faculty at some of these universities who believe in diversity, equity, inclusion and the right to kill Jews.”
. . .
“And many of these professors—not all of them, and not at all universities—but many of these professors, instead of celebrating their universities as a diverse place of diversity and ideas, they are convinced they are right, and they want to punish people who disagree with them—and that’s a big part of the problem.
“President Biden could stop this stuff on a dime. . . . All he would have to do is pick up the phone and call the president of Columbia University quietly and say, ‘Madam President . . . You’ve got 14 days to get control of your campus, or you’re not getting any more federal money.’ And she will pounce on that like a ninja.
“But Joe Biden hasn’t done that, and President Biden is not going to do that. . . . He’s not going to do that because of the raw, gut politics.”
View Kennedy’s full remarks here.
