Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said Sunday that President Biden “should and will” visit college campuses amid the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled the country.
Host Margaret Brennan asked Khanna on “Face the Nation” whether the ongoing protests were becoming a “distraction” from the issues they are protesting. She also noted that Khanna has been to several college campuses in recent days to engage in conversations with students as the protests continue across the country.
“No, I don’t think so. I mean, in Wisconsin, the issues that came up first were abortion rights. Second, the cost of living and what the president was going to do on student loans, and for housing and rent. Gaza came up,” he said.
“But you know, one of the conversations in Madison with Jewish Americans and Arab Americans was extraordinarily civil, thoughtful and constructive. So I think in a lot of campuses, there are 4,000 of them in the United States, there is actually constructive dialogue taking place,” he added.
Brennan then asked Khanna why Biden was not engaging in those conversations.
“I think the president should and will get out there on campuses,” Khanna replied.
Khanna then went on to say that the college protests have resulted in an “awakening” in Washington regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
“Look, everyone from the president on down is aware that young people are upset at what’s going on in the Middle East. And I — I do think it’s had an awakening in Washington, that this war has to end, that too many people are dying. And if you look at the president’s language, it’s certainly shifted over the last six months. Now, some of us want there to be consequences,” Khanna said.
Biden addressed the ongoing college protests at the White House on Thursday, saying that violent protests are “not protected” while defending the right to demonstrate peacefully. He also condemned antisemitism and Islamophobia, saying there “is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment on Khanna’s comments.