Rep. Ro Khanna says college protesters need to show "discipline" amid reports of violence

We’re joined now by California Democratic Congressman ROH Khanna. Good to have you here. And you’ve been, I know, visiting college campuses across the country. Michigan, Nevada and the Biden campaign recently sent you to Wisconsin. Are we at the point now where the protesters are becoming a story unto themselves and a distraction from the issues that they’re protesting? No, I don’t think so. But in Wisconsin, the issues that came up first were abortion rights, second, the cost of living and what the president was going to do on student loans and for housing and rent a Gaza came up. But you know, one of the conversations in Madison with Jewish Americans and Arab Americans was extraordinary civil, thoughtful and constructive. So I think in a lot of campuses there are 4000 of them in the United States, there is actually constructive dialogue taking place but the president isn’t doing those kind of listening sessions. Why? I think the president should and we’ll get out there on campuses. I I think he shouted down genocide Joe when he goes to events and look that’s part of protest. I condemn any protest that incites violence or that is anti-Semitic as someone whose grandfather spent four years in jail with Gandhi. I mean the whole point of Satyagraha was nonviolent protest, but we have to understand that this is a defining moment for this generation, similar to anti Vienna, non protest, anti apartheid protest, anti Iraq war protest. And they’re telling us that through over 30,000 people have died. It’s time for this war to end. It’s time for the hostages to be released that Hamas has and they want to see leadership in America and around the world. This is not the world that they want. Well the president though has said the protests aren’t making him change his policy. He is unequivocally pro Israel. It was a month ago he said something had to change or U.S. policy would. Do you expect any change in U.S. policy as a result? I do and I slightly disagree. I think the the protests and the larger movement have had the president change. I mean you look at the president now talking about some of the consequences that could have on Netanyahu. The Arez canal the Arez opening open. the United States didn’t veto the ceasefire resolution in the United Nations after three attempts and then said it was non binding. Said not binding. But at least look everyone from the president on down is aware that young people are upset at what’s going on in the Middle East. And I I do think it’s had an A an awakening in Washington that this war has to end that too many people are dying. And if you look at the president’s language, it’s certainly shifted over the last six months. Now some of us want there to be consequences, right? And this week, we know there’s this May 8th deadline for the administration to provide a report about whether Israel and other recipients of U.S. military aid are using those weapons in accordance with law and whether or not they are blocking humanitarian aid. Is this going to be an honest accounting? I hope so. There’s an independent task force that has issued the report as well. And all right, they’re trying to pre but to pre. But what the administration may put out, because they are pretty clear in that non government report that they do think there are violations. Yes. And let’s be nuanced about what the report says because it’s actually very thoughtful. They say, look, the Hamas attacks on October 7th were brutal, unjustified. Then they say there are tunnels underground in Gaza, but they say you can’t go destroying residential buildings just because there’s a tunnel because under international law you can’t have disproportionate civilian harm. And they detail cases where that happens. They detail cases where residential buildings were destroyed without any military target. So my expectation is that the State Department report needs to have that kind of nuance and detail. And if it doesn’t, you’re going to have people asking why in Congress. So while you were talking about very specific policy changes for very specific allegations, you also see at some of these protests things that are mixed in there, either outside agitators or extreme rhetoric. Your Democratic colleague Alyssa Slotkin was just tweeting about this protest at GW University. She said there were individuals shouting guillotine, guillotine and having a mock trial of school administrators. She says that creates a climate of fear for Jewish students. What’s being lost here in the conversation? Well, she’s right. I mean, you can’t be shouting guillotine, guillotine. You can’t be shouting globalized. The Intifada or Zionists don’t deserve to live. What’s being lost is that those few protesters were inciting violence or engaging in that kind of anti-Semitism are diminishing the thousands of young people who simply want the war to end. And I guess I would say look to John Lewis or Doctor King. They in their protests were above reproach. If some individual engaged in bigotry, they call them out for and loudly so. I’m proud of a lot of the young people who want to end the war, but they need to show the discipline and some universities have. Look at Cornell, look at University of Minnesota, Look at what’s happening at Northwestern. There have been efforts not to have the police in, to have dialogue with the student protesters, to have much more peace and calm. And there are models for what can work in this country. Congressman, it’s always interesting to hear from you. Thank you. Thank you for telling us what you’re seeing out there on college campuses.