The Biden administration’s response to the pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses has been, at best, weak and misguided. By refusing to condemn the protestors or make clear where the limits of protest lie in a democracy, the president is sending a dangerous message about what is acceptable behavior when exercising one’s First Amendment rights. This apparent reluctance to enforce the law or to call out egregious conduct appears inspired by base political calculations intended to win over young voters.
Biden’s team seems to believe that they can secure re-election with the support of younger demographics, which is why recent efforts have focused on erasing student loan debt and downplaying the severity of these protests. In 2020, Joe Biden secured around 60 percent of the young vote, but recent polls indicate that this group is now leaning towards Trump. The president’s decision to write off substantial amounts of student debt may have been an attempt at vote-buying on a massive scale – subsidizing the already largely affluent at a level even Tammany Hall would be proud of.
There are no signs that these tactics will help Biden win back the youth vote, nor is there any indication that the pro-Palestinian protests have reached their peak. The power of violent protest to shape public policy can be traced back to the post-George Floyd riots of 2020 when widespread looting and vandalism went largely unpunished, with Democrat mayors and city councils endorsing the violence as justified. Even Kamala Harris backed a bail fund for arrested protestors.
This culture of leniency towards violent protest has only served to embolden the current generation of protesters, who may escalate their actions in an attempt to disrupt the Democratic convention in Chicago in August – mirroring the chaos that helped elect Richard Nixon in 1968. With far-left Mayor Brandon Johnson in charge of maintaining order during the convention, there is little reason for optimism about how this situation will be managed.
The Biden administration’s handling of these protests has been irresponsible and counterproductive. By failing to establish clear boundaries for acceptable protest behavior, the president risks exacerbating an already volatile situation that could have significant implications for his re-election bid. It is time for Joe Biden to demonstrate strong leadership by standing up for law and order while also upholding the rights of American citizens to peacefully express their views.
