1:35 PM ET April 28, 2024
Here are some of the latest comments from elected officials regarding the protests happening across the United States.
From CNN's Avery Lotz
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell speaks at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 23.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Several U.S. lawmakers and other elected officials spoke in media appearances Sunday about the protests seen across the country in response to the ongoing Israeli military operation in Gaza.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell “University presidents need to take control of the situation, allow free speech and push back against anti-Semitism,” he said on CBS, criticizing the anti-Semitic comments seen at the protests.
“We all have to take seriously the challenges ahead of us,” he said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” University administrators need to take a stand.”
Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin It also condemned instances of anti-Semitic rhetoric and said Virginia would not allow protest camps to be set up at academic institutions.
“We will protect the ability to peacefully express our thoughts, but the hate speech and threats we are seeing across the country will not occur in Virginia,” the governor told CNN's Dana Bash. He spoke at the State of the Union Address. ”
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine Meanwhile, in Virginia, He opposed House Speaker Mike Johnson's suggestion that the National Guard could be sent to college campuses during protests, calling it a “very bad idea.”
“When so many people call up the National Guard to college campuses, it's reminiscent of when it was done during the Vietnam War, and it didn't end well,” Cain said.・The Press”.
“There are other ways to do that, beyond just taking advantage of campus security, to provide students with an opportunity to have civil and constructive dialogue where people hear each other's voices. That's much better.” he added.
