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When it comes to white supremacists and other extremists, many conservatives seem to have no problem welcoming them onto college campuses — often in the name of purported free speech.
Of course, their supposed free speech crusade runs contrary to the right-wing movement that has sought to ban books from schools and prohibit certain lessons about social inequality. But we now have yet another example of hypocrisy to show conservatives aren’t truly concerned about ensuring everyone is allowed to speak their views — even if they’re controversial.
Specifically, some Republicans are using the Israel-Hamas war to crack down on college campus free speech and calling for students or others critical of the Israeli government to be essentially blacklisted.
There have been both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations at colleges across the country since the Israel-Hamas war began this month. But many conservatives have dubiously sought to frame fierce critics of Israel’s government as fierce critics of all Jewish people. They've also accused pro-Palestinian demonstrators of being antisemitic. And suddenly, the right’s free speech absolutism has fallen by the wayside.
Former President Donald Trump, for instance, proposed banning pro-Palestinian activists — whom he labeled “antisemitic” and “anti-American” — from universities in the U.S. And many of his fellow Republican presidential candidates have shared similar views.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., suggested foreign national students on visas should be "sent back to their country" if they protest against the Israeli government. (FYI: There are people in Israel pushing back against their government amid the war, as well.)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office recently came out in support of a local lawmaker’s push to expel students — and strip schools’ funding — over campus demonstrations the lawmaker, state Rep. Randy Fine, dubiously described as “justify[ing] the killing of Jews.” DeSantis has shown a willingness to conflate Palestinians with antisemitism, recently claiming that “all” Palestinian refugees from Gaza are antisemitic.
Though GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy disagrees with some of his fellow conservatives about the blacklisting calls, one of his wealthy supporters, Bill Ackman, supports such an action. Ackman has called for members of Harvard University student groups that signed a pro-Palestinian letter to be publicly named and blacklisted. The letter, posted on Oct. 7, said Israel was “entirely responsible for all the unfolding violence” and was signed by more than 30 Harvard student groups.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., recently urged the Biden administration to deport foreign nationals who signed or “shared approvingly” the letter.
And Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told Fox News this week that she agrees with Cotton’s deportation push. She said she's co-sponsoring a bill Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he will introduce that would require the deportation of foreign nationals who participate in "pro-Hamas" demonstrations.
And at least one House Republican has joined in this ideological crusade. Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri, who chairs the finance-focused Ways and Means Committee, told Fox News on Wednesday that his committee might seek to strip some universities of their tax-exempt statuses over some students' anti-Israel statements.
None of this seems befitting of a movement whose members claim to espouse "free speech absolutism."