Internet blasts Donald Trump for calling police raid on Columbia protesters 'a beautiful thing to watch'

WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN: Former president Donald Trump lauded the New York police officers raiding the Columbia University building occupied by pro-Palestine students and called it "a beautiful thing to watch".

Speaking at a campaign rally in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, May 1, the White House hopeful praised the NY law enforcement for arresting around 300 protestors who violently took over Hamilton Hall at the campus in the early morning hours of April 30, Reuters reported.

"New York was under siege last night," Trump said. He criticized Columbia University President Minouche Shafik, describing her as "weak, "afraid," and "bad" for waiting so long, and remarked instead that they could have done it with the tents, and it would have gone quickly and without any problem.

Donald Trump praises New York police's response

Addressing his supporters, the GOP presumptive nominee said, "But they [New York law enforcement] did an incredible job. They went into one of the big buildings, a beautiful landmark building. Boy, it got the hell beat out of it last night. You know you're supposed to take care of those buildings. It took a beating. But the police came in and in exactly two hours everything was over. It was a beautiful thing to watch. New York's finest."

The protest that started around two weeks ago swiftly spread to other campuses from coast to coast in the United States as the Palestinian death toll crossed 34,000 since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023.

Student protests across the country were demanding an immediate ceasefire on the Jewish state's war on Gaza, and universities divest from companies linked to Israel.

With the protests turning more violent, Republican legislators raised concerns about the safety of Jewish students and increased antisemitic rhetoric among the protestors. However, student organizers dismissed such accusations, claiming no pro-Israel counter-protesters were targeted.

"I say remove the encampments immediately, vanquish the radicals and take back our campuses for all of the normal students who want a safe place from which to learn," Trump said in the rally.

The former president also blamed President Joe Biden for the worsening situation after the White House refused to answer clearly about the incumbent's response to the protests. A recent White House press conference dodged multiple questions about the same, stating Biden condemned antisemitism but is in favor of peaceful demonstrations.

"Biden's nowhere to be found. He hasn't said anything," the ex-president criticized his successor, as per The Hill. "When you have a problem like that, you should go out and talk about it and talk to the people. But there's a big problem, there's a big fever in our country, and he's not talking. But if he did, it wouldn't matter."

Trump was back on the campaign trail in key battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan since the beginning of his historic hush money trial in Manhattan for falsifying business records to pay $130,000 to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

Internet slams Donald Trump for his remark

Netizens lashed out at Trump's description of the NY law enforcement raid at the university building taken over by pro-Palestine student protestors.

One social media user wrote on Facebook, "What a pathetic loser he is …in every aspect and every position he takes .."

Another commented, "Today he's saying " respect law and order," yesterday he said he'd pardon the Jan 6ers jailed for beating and injuring capitol police. How? How does anyone think this guy should lead a country? He's not fit to lead a coffee run."

"See? The US politicians are all hypocrites," one person noted.

One response read, "Trump's words are psychotic. So are the actions of the state of New York, a Blue MAGA stronghold, in allowing these Gestapo tactics of the police to continue."

Another user wrote, "He only approves of law enforcement for others….when he was charged, now 88 counts, it’s all “a witch hunt”…gaslighting narcissist."

One person said, "But yet minimized his followers doing the same thing when they attacked the capital and attacked law enforcement bc he instructed them to fight like hell so he cld stay in power after he lost a free and fair election. Effing hypocrite..."

An individual remarked on X, "Rome was just gorgeous to watch when it burned. Mental illness and such experiences mend each other seamlessly."

Another said, "But this is an example of a perfectly peaceful protest if I ever saw one that was Tangerine Toddler approved."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.