On Wednesday, entrepreneur and Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy criticized Governor Ron DeSantis for instructing Florida universities to disband their chapters of a pro-Hamas student group.
In a letter sent to the state university presidents on Tuesday, Chancellor Ray Rodrigues instructed them to begin cracking down on pro-Hamas activity on their campuses, after one Palestinian student group declared itself to be “part” of the”terrorist movement. The DeSantis administration accuses the National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) of violating state law for knowingly providing “material support” to the terr”r group.
The following day, Ramaswamy appeared on The Hill’s web show ‘Rising.’ The candidate said he was “not aware” of DeSantis’s order before the interview but still attacked the Florida Governor for his action.
“My view is that the answer to bad speech is not less speech; it is more speech. And I think it is wrong for us to silence those we disagree with,” Ramaswamy said before conceding that the pro-Hamas student activists were “way out of line” and “idiotic.”
“But the way we do this in the United States is free speech and open debate… I don’t think [banning the SJP] that’s the American way. I don’t think that’s productive, and I don’t think we convince any of those people by browbeating them into submission through fear either.”
Su”scribe t” The Florida Jolt Newsletter!
Vivek Ramaswamy is criticizing fellow GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis' push to deactivate pro-Palestinian groups: "I don’t think that’s the American way" https://t.co/u7CFqK4Jhj
— The Hill (@thehill) October 25, 2023
‘The Hill’ published R’maswamy’s cRamaswamy’stheir YouTube channel. Following the interview, DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin offered a retort, saying that while Ramaswamy and others talk, “Ron DeSantis”acts.”
“If Ron DeSantis has to stand alone among the field of GOP primary contenders in taking action to curb pro-terrorist activity on college campuses, then so be it,” Griffin said” in a statement to the outlet.
“SJP [National Students for Justice in Palestine] has publicly claimed itself as a ‘part’ of the Hamas terrorist movement, and therefore should be treated as such. As usual, Ron DeSantis acts while others talk,”
Join your fellow patriots and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
.@GovRonDeSantis is behind several Florida universities banning chapters of the “Students for Justice in Palestine” after it was revealed the national parent group gave chapters toolkits on how to aid Hamas in their ongoing terror operation. Read: https://t.co/J9kjOMHnri
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) October 25, 2023
In his Tuesday letter, Chancellor Rodrigues clarified that the order to shut down the SJP’s Florida SJP’sters stemmed from the group’s decision to label themselves as “part” of the”Hama” terror movement.
“In response,” and leading up to a ‘Day of Resistance,’ the National Students for Justice in Palestine (National SJP) released a ‘toolkit’ which refers to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood as ‘the resistance’ and unequivocally states: ‘Palestinian ‘students in exile are PART of this movement, not in solidarity with this movement,” Rodrigues wrote.
“It is a felony under Florida law to ‘knowingly provide material support … to a designated foreign terrorist organization’ … Here, National SJP has affirmatively identified it is part of the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood — a terrorist led attack…
These chapters exist under the headship of the National Students for Justice in Palestine, who distributed a toolkit identifying themselves as part of the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Based on the National SJP’s support of terrorism, in consultation with Governor DeSantis, the student chapters must be deactivated,”
Other stories you may want to read:
DeSantis Orders Crackdown on Pro-Hamas Student Groups for Violating State Law
- DeSantis Shreds Haley in GOP Debate: ‘She Caves Every Time the Left Comes After Her’ - December 7, 2023
- Gaetz Says McCarthy Resignation ‘May Imperil’ GOP House Majority - December 7, 2023
- DeSantis Ramps Up Attacks On Haley Ahead of Final GOP Debate - December 6, 2023