Erin Burnett to Speaker Johnson: How Is Chanting ‘Free Palestine’ Anti-Semitic?

[Clip starts PROTESTERS We ░░░░░░░░ t hear you We ░░░░░░░░ t hear you Johnson ░░░░░░░░ your free speech Clip ░░░░░░░░ BURNETT Were you surprised ░░░░░░░░ all by what happened ░░░░░░░░ Well there was a ░░░░░░░░ of students who apparently ░░░░░░░░ been involved in the ░░░░░░░░ here and I m ░░░░░░░░ surprised that they didn ░░░░░░░░ welcome our visit because ░░░░░░░░ re calling out their ░░░░░░░░ Look the point we ░░░░░░░░ to make today is ░░░░░░░░ this is not who ░░░░░░░░ are as Americans This ░░░░░░░░ not an expression of ░░░░░░░░ First Amendment This is ░░░░░░░░ an exchange of ideas ░░░░░░░░ is this is threats ░░░░░░░░ intimidation of violence against ░░░░░░░░ students for who they ░░░░░░░░ for their faith And ░░░░░░░░ s a terrible trend ░░░░░░░░ s going on in ░░░░░░░░ country right now We ░░░░░░░░ these similar types of ░░░░░░░░ and what are becoming ░░░░░░░░ protests on campuses around ░░░░░░░░ country And members of ░░░░░░░░ I believe have an ░░░░░░░░ a responsibility to speak ░░░░░░░░ this and to demand ░░░░░░░░ it come to an ░░░░░░░░ because it s not ░░░░░░░░ for us BURNETT The ░░░░░░░░ thing they were chanting ░░░░░░░░ Free Palestine How is ░░░░░░░░ anti Semitic Johnson Well ░░░░░░░░ s anti Semitic is ░░░░░░░░ Hamas endorsed this protest ░░░░░░░░ Within the last two ░░░░░░░░ they issued an endorsement ░░░░░░░░ and heralded the students ░░░░░░░░ and said this is ░░░░░░░░ next generation of leadership ░░░░░░░░ America If you re ░░░░░░░░ endorsed by Hamas that ░░░░░░░░ not a good look ░░░░░░░░ s not a good ░░░░░░░░ Some of these students ░░░░░░░░ are unaware of the ░░░░░░░░ of October 7 or ░░░░░░░░ re denying it They ░░░░░░░░ that women and children ░░░░░░░░ brutally raped and murdered ░░░░░░░░ infants were placed into ░░░░░░░░ and cooked alive The ░░░░░░░░ that happen there are ░░░░░░░░ and yet they re ░░░░░░░░ there waving flags for ░░░░░░░░ very people who committed ░░░░░░░░ atrocities This is not ░░░░░░░░ we are BURNETT Speaker ░░░░░░░░ those early days I ░░░░░░░░ in some of the ░░░░░░░░ and you could smell ░░░░░░░░ death and the bodies ░░░░░░░░ was horrific And yet ░░░░░░░░ s happened since has ░░░░░░░░ horrific too And there ░░░░░░░░ a student here inaudible ░░░░░░░░ at Columbia I wanted ░░░░░░░░ quote him He is ░░░░░░░░ He has written a ░░░░░░░░ about what s going ░░░░░░░░ here right now his ░░░░░░░░ on campus He says ░░░░░░░░ ll read it to ░░░░░░░░ The most pressing threats ░░░░░░░░ our safety as Jewish ░░░░░░░░ do not come from ░░░░░░░░ on campus We should ░░░░░░░░ focusing on the material ░░░░░░░░ of war the munitions ░░░░░░░░ government is sending to ░░░░░░░░ which kill Palestinians by ░░░░░░░░ thousands and the Americans ░░░░░░░░ in the violence Do ░░░░░░░░ think that protesting the ░░░░░░░░ catastrophe in Gaza protesting ░░░░░░░░ tens of thousands of ░░░░░░░░ people who have died ░░░░░░░░ is anti Semitic in ░░░░░░░░ of itself Johnson I ░░░░░░░░ there s always a ░░░░░░░░ for debate and the ░░░░░░░░ exchange of ideas But ░░░░░░░░ s not equivocate on ░░░░░░░░ s happening in Hamas ░░░░░░░░ Hamas and in Gaza ░░░░░░░░ is a battle as ░░░░░░░░ said Prime Minister Netanyahu ░░░░░░░░ between good versus evil ░░░░░░░░ versus darkness civilization versus ░░░░░░░░ This isn t a ░░░░░░░░ call We have terrorists ░░░░░░░░ prey upon and attacked ░░░░░░░░ and killed many innocent ░░░░░░░░ And the idea that ░░░░░░░░ would be out here ░░░░░░░░ support of that Hamas ░░░░░░░░ using civilians as shields ░░░░░░░░ themselves They put their ░░░░░░░░ under hospitals and schools ░░░░░░░░ are using civilians in ░░░░░░░░ theater of war And ░░░░░░░░ it s difficult Why ░░░░░░░░ someone blame Israel for ░░░░░░░░ to stamp out the ░░░░░░░░ terrorist threats there right ░░░░░░░░ on the doorstep We ░░░░░░░░ not be dictating to ░░░░░░░░ their military strategy We ░░░░░░░░ be supporting our ally ░░░░░░░░ is the only stable ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East.”