House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Wednesday that National Guard troops remain an option to maintain order as pro-Palestinian protests continue to dominate college campuses.
"If this is not contained quickly, and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped, there is an appropriate time for the National Guard," Johnson said during a press conference, The Hill reported. "We have to bring order to these campuses. We cannot allow this to happen around the country. We are better than this."
Last week, Columbia University was ground zero for the increasingly intense protests with more than 100 arrests reported following a demonstration at Columbia's South Lawn in Morningside Heights. The protesters are demanding that schools divest from companies they allege "profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide and occupation in Palestine" and seek an end to Israel's military action in Gaza.
In response, Columbia President Minouche Shafik canceled in-person learning on Monday and classes were to be conducted remotely. In her statement, she said she did so "to deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps."
Johnson has called for Shafik to step down from her position if she cannot bring order to the chaos on her campus.
"We met briefly with the president and her top officials right before we came out on the steps here. We encouraged her to take immediate action and stamp this out. And our feeling is that they have not acted to restore order on the campus," Johnson told reporters.