What Democrats and Republicans say about campus protests after dramatic crackdowns

In his opening remarks on Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell excoriated campus protesters across the country. McConnell said President Joe Biden “refuses to render an unqualified rejection of campus antisemitism” and called Biden’s words about the protests so far “mealy-mouthed equivocation.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a native of New York and the highest-ranking Jewish elected official, notably did not say anything about the crackdowns in his home town as riot police arrested students at Columbia University. University officials said they had had no choice but to bring in authorities after students took over Hamilton Hall, an academic building which protesters began to refer to as Hind Hall.

The silence from Schumer stands in contrast to his gabby persona. Indeed, the late Bob Dole once joked that the most dangerous place in Washington was between the New York Democrat and a microphone.

In March, Schumer’s decision to call for new elections in Israel was intended, he said, to express how many Jewish Americans feel about Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza.

Schumer’s silence, contrasted with McConnell’s thundering condemnation, reflects the predicament Democrats face when it comes to campus protests. Particularly in Democratic cities and universities, where numerous students identify as left-leaning, the party feels it is in a difficult position. Meanwhile, Republicans see a clear opportunity to win over public opinion.

Republicans in the House had hoped on Tuesday to turn up the heat on Democrats, with House Speaker Mike Johnson holding a press conference with multiple chairmen and chairwomen. They aimed — and still aim — to pass legislation from Representative Mike Lawler that would require the