Donald Trump accused opponent Biden of inaction in the face of the pro-Palestinian college protests

trump accused opponent

Joe Biden said Thursday that “order must prevail” in the face of a wave of demonstrations in American universities in support of the Palestinians in Gaza, which puts him in a politically delicate position six months before the presidential election. “Anti-Semitism and threats against Jewish students have no place on campus or in America,” the American president said.

“We are not an authoritarian country that silences people,” Joe Biden nevertheless assured during a short speech. “As president, I will always defend freedom of expression and I will defend the law just as forcefully,” he said.

“Vandalism, forceful intrusion, breaking windows, blocking campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes or graduation ceremonies, none of this falls within the scope of peaceful demonstration,” however listed the Democrat 81 years old. “It’s against the law.”

Accused of inaction

In the morning, his opponent and Republican predecessor Donald Trump accused him of inaction in the face of the pro-Palestinian college protests. “They are radical left-wing weirdos and we must stop them now because it will last and get worse,” he said upon his arrival at the New York court where he is being tried in an unprecedented trial for a former American president.

Joe Biden also said that he was not in favor of sending the National Guard, an army corps that depends on the states on the front line, to campuses.

A delicate political position vs presidential election

The American president, who will seek a second term against Republican Donald Trump in November, has until now remained silent in the face of the wave of mobilization and the police interventions to dislodge demonstrators, at Columbia University in New York or at the University of California (UCLA) for example.

Six months before the presidential election, in a polarized United States, the Democratic president finally committed to this issue likely to undermine his campaign.

This mobilization places the democrat in an extremely delicate political position. His policy of support for Israel has earned him strong criticism from young, progressive voters of Arab-American origin, while Republicans accuse him of allowing anti-Semitism to flourish on campuses. Joe Biden also assured that “no”, this protest movement would not change his strategy in the Middle East.