On Tuesday, unfounded allegations were made by Trump regarding the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, claiming they included “paid agitators” as protests on college campuses across the country intensify.
In the evening, the New York City Police Department dispatched hundreds of officers, equipped with batons and riot gear, to dismantle protest encampments at Columbia University, resulting in the arrest of students occupying a campus building.
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During a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Trump suggested that many participants in the protests were not genuinely committed to the cause. “I really think you have a lot of paid agitators, professional agitators in here too, and I see it all over,” he stated. “You know, when you see signs and they’re all identical, that means they’re being paid by a source.”
He elaborated further, saying, “You know, these aren’t hand-painted signs where people would go to their basement and paint something because they really believed that.
These are all signs that are identical that [are] made by the same printer. And you know, when you see that, that means there’s somebody at the top that’s paying — or a group that’s paying — and they’re doing a great disservice to the world, but they’re doing a great disservice to our country.”
No evidence has emerged to support claims that any protesters at Columbia University or during the nationwide protests are paid demonstrators or are otherwise insincere in their activism.
The police actions at Columbia followed a week of escalating tensions, leading to numerous protests across the nation against the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Demonstrators have called for a cease-fire, an end to military aid to Israel, and urged their institutions to divest from Israeli interests.
Columbia has become a focal point for political attention during these protests. In the past week, the campus has welcomed visits from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D), and various members of Congress from both major parties.
Pressure has mounted on Columbia University President Minouche Shafik from lawmakers of both parties, who have demanded her resignation if the protests are not quickly addressed.
Both Trump and President Biden have condemned the protests, with Trump referring to them as “a sad thing to see” and criticizing Biden in the process. “We have to go back to the roots.
We have to protect — we have to stop the antisemitism that’s just pervading our country right now,” he said. “And Biden has to do something. Biden is supposed to be the voice of our country, and it’s certainly not much of a voice.”
Nationwide, more than 1,000 students have been arrested at similar protests, some of which have resulted in violent confrontations with police and counterprotesters.
