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House Speaker Mike Johnson called on Columbia University’s president to resign Wednesday during a tense news conference, but the crowd repeatedly interrupted his speech and caused him and other Republicans in the room to stand at the microphone. Members of Congress were loudly booed at times.
“We cannot allow this type of hatred and anti-Semitism to flourish on our campuses, and we must stem the tide. Those who perpetrate this violence must be arrested. I am here with my colleagues today to call on President Shafik to resign if he cannot immediately bring order to this chaos,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.
Johnson visited Columbia University on Wednesday, meeting with Jewish students and speaking with other Republicans. Loud boos erupted as Mr. Johnson and Republican lawmakers walked up to begin their speeches.
During the Q&A portion, the crowd erupted in unison, “Mike, you suck!” At another point during his remarks, the crowd began to yell and Mr. Johnson said: “Enjoy your freedom of speech.”
The timing of Johnson’s visit comes as the speaker faces an onslaught of criticism from conservatives, with a small group of lawmakers led by Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene threatening to expel him. It was conducted. The pressure on Mr Johnson has only intensified since he helped steer a foreign aid package through the House of Commons that included aid to Ukraine, which was fiercely opposed by many hardline conservatives.
After the tense press conference, Johnson defended his appearance at Columbia University in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, saying he chose to get involved in what was happening on the school’s campus because “the chairman… Because I represent the House of Representatives.”
“I felt it was really important to have that voice heard, not just about what’s going on in Colombia, but what’s going on across the country right now,” he said on “OutFront.” “We must stand up for justice and goodness unequivocally. I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to not oppose this, not to support this, but to coddle these people.” Instead, we are calling for people to speak up and stop.
Asked about the hecklers, Mr Johnson said: “We condemn their activities so I was not surprised that they did not welcome our visit.”
His campus visit drew some praise from his critics within the Republican Party, who rallied around the speaker after his remarks were interrupted by protesters.
“I’m not sure if he’s going to do this,” said Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who has publicly criticized Johnson’s leadership. I wrote this on X: “While I have strong disagreements on spending and foreign aid, I applaud @SpeakerJohnson for what he did in Colombia.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a press conference that he had met with Shafiq and called for immediate action to address the unrest.
“We met briefly with the president and her leaders just before we came out on the steps here. We encouraged her to take immediate action and root out this problem, but we hope they will not bring order on campus.” “We feel that we did not take any action to recover,” he said.
Johnson also said he would call President Joe Biden immediately after his departure to request that some action be taken, and said he would not rule out the need for the National Guard to intervene at some point.
“After I leave here, I’m going to call President Biden to share what we’ve seen with our own eyes and demand that he take action. There is appropriate enforcement authority. If this is not quickly contained, “If these threats and intimidation are not stopped, there will be an appropriate time for the National Guard,” he said. “We have to bring order to these campuses.”
Mr Johnson defended his leadership in the face of growing threats, saying he would not resign and warning that a vote to remove him could cause chaos in the House of Commons.
In recent days, Johnson has appeared to be trying to quell his opposition by realigning himself with causes and positions that move the Republican base. Mr. Johnson on Tuesday ordered Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, who just last week called on Mr. Johnson to resign in a closed session, to pay a legally prohibited $500 fee for sharing a video that included footage from the House chamber. intervened to ensure that no fines were imposed. Chamber of Commerce Rules.
“After seeing Rep. Massey’s tweet, our team contacted Sgt. Sgt. I disagree with this assessment and Rep. Massey will not be fined,” Johnson posted on Tuesday.
Johnson also expelled three conservatives from the House Rules Committee after Republicans, including Massie, Roy and Ralph Norman of South Carolina, voted against pursuing additional measures last week. They are also resisting demands to do so. The committee is typically seen as an important tool for Republican leaders to advance their agenda, but these members voted against advancing the policy, prompting Democratic intervention to help bring the bill to a vote. It became necessary.
Johnson told a conservative talk show host. Hugh Hewitt said in an interview Wednesday that removing his colleague from that committee could have a longer-term impact.
This article has been updated with additional reporting.
CNN’s Melanie Zanona and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this report.
