Ron DeSantis calls for feds to deal with campus antisemitism in New York City

DeSantis AP
'The minute there's repercussions, you will start to see a change in behavior.'

Ron DeSantis is sounding off about antisemitism on college campuses, saying the federal Justice Department and Department of Education should be tasked to handle protests that have devolved into threats against Jewish students.

Florida’s Governor told a crowd at West Palm Beach’s Cox Science Center and Aquarium that “what’s going on up there is disgraceful,” adding that President Joe Biden has “been very weak and basically allowing that to happen” through executive inaction.

Protesters at Columbia University have delivered the worst of it of late, with calls to Jewish students to “go back to Poland” in what is a clear attempt to invoke the horrors of the Holocaust, which led to the systematic killing of 90% of Poland’s once-vibrant Jewish population.

“They’re really targeting Jewish students,” DeSantis said. “It’s a hostile environment and violates the civil rights of those students and these universities.”

DeSantis believes that foreign students should have their visas “canceled” and “be sent home,” while American students “violating the code of conduct” should be thrown out of schools.

“You start expelling people, the behavior will change right now in higher education. Particularly in those schools up there, the inmates run the asylum and so they do, the students do this stuff knowing there’s not going to be any repercussions. The minute there’s repercussions, you will start to see a change in behavior,” he added.

DeSantis’ predecessor as Governor has also called for corrective action in recent days as protests have made Columbia an unsafe place for Jews.

“And to the antisemitic terrorist sympathizers at Columbia calling for another day like this, your support of these monsters will NEVER be forgotten,” posted U.S. Sen. Rick Scott to social media in recent days.

“You don’t want a ceasefire or peace. You want violence, terrorism and to support thugs who hate America and our great friend Israel. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. If action is not taken immediately, we must revoke all federal funding and hold these ignorant ‘protesters’ and the university enabling them accountable for this violent, evil rhetoric.”

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. His work also can be seen in the Washington Post, the New York Post, the Washington Times, and National Review, among other publications. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


18 comments

  • Dont Say FLA

    April 22, 2024 at 11:18 am

    Rhonda been watching so much New York City TV that now apparently they thinks they’re Governor of New York, not Governor of Iowa anymore.

    LOL @ Dipstick Rhonda don’t even know where he (supposedly) works

    • Tom

      April 22, 2024 at 12:55 pm

      I guess he’s watching trump get flushed and having fevered dreams about stepping in at the last minute and winning the election. He probably views his primary performance as a strategic retreat rath than an abject failure. Who knows with him.

      • Anna

        April 22, 2024 at 4:34 pm

        Many People Make Extra Income
        Here… M­­­­o­­­­n­­e­­­­y­­­­P­­­­a­­­­y­1­­.­­c­­­­o­­­­m

      • My Take

        April 22, 2024 at 8:14 pm

        “having fevered dreams about stepping in at the last minute and winning the election.”
        You know he has to contemplate it.

  • Dont Say FLA

    April 22, 2024 at 11:28 am

    Wait wait wait. Wait one cotton pickin’ second now.

    Rhonda is concerned that protests have devolved into threats against Jewish students?

    Elise Stephansick’s whole thing was that protests are bullying. Some university presidents lost their jobs over the difference between statements made at protests targeting no present individual(s) being conflated with bullying that did specifically target an individual within spitting distance of the aggressor.

    Rhonda seems to feel like Protests are not bullying, but if there is bullying, bulling is a problem. Hey look at that, Rhonda and I agree. But what about Elise Stephansick and her conflation of protests with bullying and then the G0P going after university Presidents over difference in terminology until those university Presidents lost their jobs?

    Will Rhonda sign on to a petition to get University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, Harvard President Claudine Gay and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth’s jobs back?

    I bet Rhonda does not, despite having their exact same position on the issue that protests are not bullying, because bullying is a specific interaction between individuals but protests are people with bullhorns yammering at nobody specific.

    LOL @ Flip Flop Rhonda claimed protests were bullying when that was politically expedient now admits bullying is bullying and protests were actually protected speech

  • Ocean Joe

    April 22, 2024 at 11:54 am

    Skyrocketing storm insurance.
    Be the governor of Florida, not an eternal jack ass.

    • Silly Wabbit

      April 22, 2024 at 4:15 pm

      Too late!

  • ScienceBLVR

    April 22, 2024 at 2:56 pm

    Maybe DeSantis can send his private army, the state guard, to deal with those protesting students! Forget expelling them, he can order the guard to just shoot them like they did at Kent State in 1970. Not all, but many of the college protestors are calling for divestiture of funds from Israel or to stop funding the war effort that’s killing thousands of civilians. Certainly legitimate and constitutionally protected protest. The groups that are spreading hate and antisemitism, well, ok. Let’s start shutting down all “hate” speech why don’t we? Plenty of that on both sides of fine people everywhere.

    • MH/Duuuval

      April 22, 2024 at 7:50 pm

      CA Gov. Ronnie Raygun sealed off Sproul Plaza with barricades and heavy police, then sent in helicopters overhead to tear gas the protestors. The police arrested the demo leaders as they exited the plaza via the few open exits. (Dee is a fan of RR.)

  • Don’t

    April 22, 2024 at 4:01 pm

    Round up all those phony tough talkers. Put them on a jet and drop them off in Gaza. Of course give them all a weapon. Now go get the IDF, you tough talking Jane Fonda’s.

    • S. Wabbit

      April 22, 2024 at 4:16 pm

      You ass.

    • My Take

      April 22, 2024 at 8:24 pm

      The crackdowns on just the pro-Palestinian protesters has to be fostering some anti-Israel or anti-AIPAC feelings among formally neutral Americans who treasure freedom of thought and speech.

    • Dont Say FLA

      April 23, 2024 at 12:10 pm

      How many times you gotta be told? Reply on topic. Attempted changes of subject from subjects you find to be uncomfortable and/or shine a negative light on your party are totally transparent.

      Lame Duck Rhonda advocates for expelling people from the United State of America and/or university based on their speech. That’s the story. That’s it. That’s all. Maybe reply to that despite your discomfort with it.

  • Anna

    April 22, 2024 at 4:32 pm

    you tough talking Jane Fonda’s.

  • Anna

    April 22, 2024 at 4:34 pm

    Many People Make Extra Income Here…

  • Dancing Outlaw

    April 24, 2024 at 3:20 pm

    Ron says “The minute there’s repercussions, you will start to see a change in behavior,” but Ron’s Presidential campaign behavior and his behavior today are the same despite the repercussion of the DeSantis campaign having been the biggest, most embarrassing failed campaign in all of US history.

  • StephenR

    April 25, 2024 at 7:33 am

    Love Ron DeSantis. Always the voice of reason. Spot on. Brave and bold. A true warrior. Hope he runs in future. As for Israel:
    “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.” Deuteronomy 28:7

    • Dont Say FLA

      April 25, 2024 at 1:31 pm

      The religious guy spewing indoctrination verses says Rhonda is the voice of reason? That sounds about right. Mama always said, Florida is like a box of cultists.

Comments are closed.


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