WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Joe Biden on Thursday rejected calls from student protesters to change his approach to the war in Gaza while insisting that 鈥渙rder must prevail鈥� as college campuses across the country face a wave of violence, outrage and fear.
鈥淒issent is essential for democracy,鈥� Biden said at the White House. 鈥淏ut dissent must never lead to disorder.鈥�
The Democratic president broke days of silence on the protests with his remarks, which followed mounting criticism from Republicans who have tried to turn scenes of unrest into a campaign cudgel. By focusing on a law-and-order message while defending the right to free speech, Biden is grasping for a middle ground on an intensely divisive issue in the middle of his reelection campaign.
He largely sidestepped protesters' demands, which have included ending U.S. support for Israeli military operations. Asked after his remarks whether the demonstrations would prompt him to consider changing course, Biden responded with a simple 鈥渘o.鈥�
Biden said that he did not want the National Guard to be deployed to campuses. Some Republicans have called for sending in troops, an idea with a fraught history. Four students were at Kent State University by members of the Ohio National Guard during protests over the Vietnam War in 1970.
Tensions on college campuses have been building for days as and administrators turn to police , leading to clashes that have seized widespread attention.
Biden said he rejected efforts to use the situation to 鈥渟core political points," calling the situation a 鈥渕oment for clarity.鈥�
鈥淭here's the right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos,鈥� Biden said shortly before leaving the White House for a trip to North Carolina. 鈥淧eople have the right to get an education, the right to get a degree, the right to walk across campus safely without fear of being attacked.鈥�
Biden's last previous public comment on the demonstrations came , when he condemned 鈥渁ntisemitic protests鈥� and 鈥渢hose who don鈥檛 understand what鈥檚 going on with the Palestinians.鈥�
The White House, which has been peppered with questions by reporters, had gone only slightly further than the president. On Wednesday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden was 鈥渕onitoring the situation closely" and that some demonstrations had stepped over a line that separated free speech from unlawful behavior.
鈥淔orcibly taking over a building," such as what happened at Columbia University in New York, "is not peaceful," she said. "It鈥檚 just not.鈥�
Biden鈥檚 new remarks echoed his approach after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer four years ago, a politically volatile situation in the middle of his campaign against then-President Donald Trump.
鈥淚 want to make it absolutely clear rioting is not protesting, looting is not protesting,鈥� Biden said then in remarks that his team turned into an advertisement. 鈥淚t鈥檚 lawlessness, plain and simple, and those that do it should be prosecuted.鈥�
Biden has never been much for protests of any kind. His career in elected office began as a county official when he was only 28 years old, and he鈥檚 always espoused the political importance of compromise.
As college campuses convulsed with anger over the Vietnam War in 1968, Biden was in law school at Syracuse University.
鈥淚鈥檓 not big on flak jackets and tie-dyed shirts,鈥� he said years later. 鈥淵ou know, that鈥檚 not me.鈥�
Despite the White House criticism of violent college protests and Biden's refusal to heed demands to cut off U.S. support for Israel, Republicans blame Democrats for the disorder and have used it as a backdrop for press conferences.
鈥淲e need the president of the United States to speak to the issue and say this is wrong," House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said on Tuesday. "What鈥檚 happening on college campuses right now is wrong.鈥�
Johnson visited Columbia University with other members of his caucus last week. House Republicans sparred verbally with protesters while speaking to the media at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
Trump, who is running for another term as president, also criticized Biden in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.
鈥淏iden has to do something,鈥� he said. 鈥淏iden is supposed to be the voice of our country, and it鈥檚 certainly not much of a voice. It鈥檚 a voice that nobody鈥檚 heard.鈥�
He repeated his criticisms on Wednesday during a campaign event in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
鈥淭he radical extremists and far-left agitators are terrorizing college campuses, as you possibly noticed," Trump said. 鈥淎nd Biden鈥檚 nowhere to be found. He hasn鈥檛 said anything."
Kate Berner, who served as deputy communications director for Biden鈥檚 campaign in 2020, said Republicans already had tried the same tactic during protests over Floyd's murder.
鈥淧eople rejected that,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey saw that it was just fearmongering. They saw that it wasn鈥檛 based in reality.鈥�
Apart from condemning antisemitism, the White House has been reluctant to directly engage on the issue.
Jean-Pierre repeatedly deflected questions during a briefing on Monday.
Asked whether protesters should be disciplined by their schools, she said 鈥渦niversities and colleges make their own decisions鈥� and "we鈥檙e not going to weigh in from here.鈥�
Pressed on whether police should be called in, she said 鈥渢hat's up to the colleges and universities.鈥�
Asked on Thursday why Biden chose to speak on the matter after police had arrested protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles and at universities in New York City, Jean-Pierre stressed instead the importance of any protests being nonviolent.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been very consistent here,鈥� she said. 鈥淎mericans have the right to peacefully protest as long as it鈥檚 within the law and violence is not protected.鈥�
Biden will make his own visit to a college campus on May 19 when he鈥檚 scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Morehouse University in Atlanta.
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Associated Press writer Adriana Gomez Licon in Miami and AP writer Colleen Long and White House Correspondent Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.
Chris Megerian, The Associated Press
