Biden Satisfies No One With Lackluster Speech Decrying ‘Antisemitism & Islamophobia’

Summary: Last night, CNN spent its prime time segment decrying the Democratic president’s “radio silence” on the Gaza-related campus protests and chaos. MSM pundits have pointed to his lack of leadership as violence at times erupted from UCLA to Columbia to a number of elite schools. 

As expected, Biden began by trying to chart a kind of middle course condemning “antisemitism” and “Islamophobia”… though many conservatives have pointed out it’s only the former they are seeing evidence of during these campus protests.

“Dissent is essential to democracy. But dissent must never lead to disorder or denying the rights of others… no place for hate speech in America,” Biden said. The line about “denying the rights of others” appears a very vague reference to students occupying buildings, and denying the ability of tuition-paying students to go to their classes, libraries, or to take exams. 

“There is no place for hate speech or violence of any kind, whether its antisemitism, Islamophobia or discrimination against Arab Americans or Palestinian Americans. It’s simply wrong,” Pres. Biden says during remarks on campus protests. https://t.co/8o7HAK8j8x pic.twitter.com/Slq8PrStJo

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 2, 2024

“In moments like this, there are always those who rush in to score political points. But this isn’t a moment for politics. It’s a moment for clarity. So let me be clear…Violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is.”

“Destroying property is not a peaceful protest, it’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses, forcing the cancellation of classes and graduation. None of this is a peaceful protest, threatening people, intimidating people,” Biden said.

We should note that Biden’s ‘middle way’ attempt (akin to “good folks on both sides” rhetoric that the Left gets angry about) is unlikely to satisfy either side. In the end, this lackluster speech is not going to make the encampments disappear, or the protesters disperse. In fact, he has most certainly lost almost the entirety of the Progressive vote, and increasingly young voters as well.

Update: Sure enough, it is about the protests, which apparently have had zero impact on anything as expected:

*BIDEN: RULE OF LAW, FREEDOM OF SPEECH MUST BOTH BE UPHELD
*BIDEN: DISSENT MUST NEVER LEAD TO DISORDER, DENIAL OF RIGHTS
*BIDEN: RIGHT TO PROTEST DOESN’T MEAN RIGHT TO CAUSE CHAOS
*BIDEN: NATIONAL GUARD SHOULD NOT INTERVENE ON CAMPUS PROTESTS
*BIDEN: NO CHANGE IN MIDDLE EAST POLICY OVER CAMPUS PROTESTS

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The White House has announced that President Biden will deliver unscheduled remarks at 10:30am ET (so he is already about 30 minutes late). It is unclear what Biden’s handlers will feed the teleprompter but it is a very safe bet that the university protests around the country will be a key topic… pause.