OAN’s Daniel Baldwin
April 29, 2024
The Anti-Israel protests on college campuses throughout the country showcase an opportunity for 45th President Donald Trump to highlight how the country has spiraled out of control under President Joe Biden’s watch. Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday, “STOP THE PROTESTS NOW!”
Anti-Israel protestors have set up encampments at Columbia, Harvard, George Washington and Yale just to name a few. They’re demanding that the universities separate themselves from any companies investing in Israel’s military efforts in Gaza.
Police have arrested around 900 protestors across the nation since April 18th.
But the protests underscore a significant, emotional, and unsolvable issue facing Biden: his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Initially, Biden told reporters that he “condemned the anti-Semitic protests,” but he “also condemned those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”
Biden is attempting to continue to support Israel while simultaneously holding together the coalition of voters he desperately needs to win reelection. In other words, he’s walking a tight-rope and not very well.
Pro-Palestine protests follow Biden wherever he goes. The visceral anger from his base of young and minority voters is reflected in the polls and primary votes.
In a new CNN poll, Trump leads Biden 49-43 nationally. and the crosstabs highlight that Biden has a nagging Democrat problem. When asked if they approve of the way Biden is handling the war between Israel and Hamas, 71% of respondents said they did not approve. Specifically, 53% of Democrats disapproved of his stance towards the war. Adults under the age of 34 disapprove at a clip of 81% and 73% of people of color disapprove.
To add insult to injury, just 73% of Democrats say Biden’s presidency has been a success. But 92% of Republicans say Trump’s term was a success.
Quantifiably, this disapproval has risen its head in the form of the uncommitted vote throughout the Democratic primary process. In Pennsylvania, more than 60,000 people wrote in a candidate other than Biden.
Uncommitted PA, the group pushing the vote, says they were sending the president a clear message, “To secure victory in our state in November, Biden must drastically change course in Gaza.”
This has become a pattern: more than 100,000 people voted for uncommitted in Michigan, more than 45,000 in Minnesota, and nearly 50,000 in Wisconsin voted for the uninstructed delegation.
All of this spells trouble for Biden, who finds himself trailing Trump by 1.3% per RealClearPolitics polling average.
Biden can either fully support Israel – and ensure the base that helped him win the White House in 2020 evaporates. Or Biden can encourage a ceasefire, and betray one of the country’s longest allies and our Jewish population.
Biden is walking a very fine line. And his decision could be detrimental to his campaign come November.
But the damage may already be done.