New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday blasted House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., over his trip to Columbia University, saying his visit "is only adding to the division" over the ongoing pro-Palestinian protest on campus.
Johnson traveled to Columbia's campus on Wednesday to deliver a speech, but his remarks were reportedly drowned out by protestors, whom he accused of supporting Hamas and Hezbollah as they called out, "Stop the genocide."
Hochul, speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, said that Johnson should have stayed in Washington.
"I think politicizing this and bringing the entourage to put a spotlight on this is only adding to the division," Hochul said when remarking on Johnson's visit, according to Politico. "A speaker worth the title should really be trying to heal people and not divide them, so I don't think it adds to anything."
She added, "It seems to me there's a lot more responsibilities and crises to be dealt with in Washington. I'd encourage the speaker to go back and perhaps take up the migrant bill, the bill to deal with closing the borders, so we can deal with the real crisis that New York has."
Hochul also noted that during her visit to the university earlier this week, she "went there privately" and "did not bring press."
A spokesperson for Johnson hit back at the governor in a statement: "Speaker Johnson is going to speak to students at Columbia University because Governor Hochul and other officials in New York have completely failed in their duty to protect Jewish students and combat the rise of antisemitism in their party. We wish it weren't necessary."