House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Columbia’s president to resign

House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Columbia’s president to resign

House Speaker Mike Johnson called for Columbia University President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik to resign during a tense press conference on Wednesday.

The crowd repeatedly heckled the speaker and jeered him and other GOP lawmakers with him as they stood at the microphone.

“We cannot allow this kind of hatred and antisemitism to grow on our campuses, and it must stop. Those who commit this violence should be arrested. I am here today, joining my colleagues and calling on President Shafik to resign if he cannot immediately bring about this chaos,” Johnson said.
Johnson visited Columbia University to meet Jewish students and deliver a speech with other Republican lawmakers. Johnson’s words come as he faces an onslaught of criticism from his own conservatives and as some House members have threatened to oust him.

The speaker said he met Shafik and other top university administrators on Wednesday and urged him to take immediate action to address the unrest on campus.

“Our feeling is that they did not act to restore the situation on campus,” he said.

Johnson said he would call President Joe Biden immediately after leaving campus and demand he take action, not ruling out the need for the National Guard to intervene at some point.

“My intention is to call President Biden after we leave here and share with him what we have seen with our own eyes and demand that he take action, have the appropriate executive authority. If this is not stopped quickly, and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped, there will be a good time for the National Guard,” he said.