Central Montana Times

U.S. Senator Steve Daines delivered remarks at the weekly Republican Senate Leadership press conference today, urging President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats to condemn antisemitic extremism on college campuses nationwide. This call to action follows his visit to George Washington University's protest encampment.

Daines recounted his experience, stating, “Yesterday morning, I left the beauty of Montana, Big Sky Country, and flew back to Washington, D.C., where I saw the ugliness of what’s going on at the GW campus." He described seeing a statue of George Washington covered with stickers that read 'Free Palestine,' draped in a Palestinian flag and wrapped in a keffiyeh.

According to Daines, there was also a whiteboard present that outlined rules for protesters. The first rule stated in large block letters was 'No Zionism.' During his visit, he met with Jewish students and a rabbi who expressed fear about being on campus.

“Let me be very clear: antisemitism has no place in our country. But welcome to Joe Biden’s world," said Daines. He went on to describe an incident where protesters surrounded the president of GW's house and called for campus administrators to be beheaded.

Mayor Bowser mobilized Metro PD this morning to clear the encampment at GW. However, Daines pointed out that this is just one campus among many experiencing such protests across the country.

"Our nation is in desperate need of moral clarity," said Daines. "These elite universities promote diversity and inclusion as long as it includes hating Jews."

Daines emphasized that while everyone has First Amendment rights including free speech and protest, they do not have the right to demonstrate hate and violence making Jewish students feel unsafe. He urged collective condemnation of all forms of hate wherever it appears.

He concluded by calling on President Biden and Senate Democrats to join his Republican colleagues in standing firm with the Jewish community. This includes considering ways to remove federal funding from universities that fail to protect Jewish students.