Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pledged to strip Visas and deport pro-Hamas students as Republican hopefuls sparred over anti-Semitism on college campuses.
The proposal came as the third GOP presidential debate, held Wednesday night in Miami, Florida, saw the candidates trade blows on foreign policy that led former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to call businessman Vivek Ramaswamy ‘scum.’
But the candidates on stage seemed to find a rare point of agreement on US support for Israel, with some going as far as to call for deportations of pro-Hamas students after anti-Semitism struck universities including Cornell and Harvard.
Matthew Brooks, the CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Policy Center, asked the stage: ‘What do you say to Jewish students on college campuses who feel unsafe given the dramatic rise in antisemitism?
‘And what do you say to university presidents and college presidents who have not met the moral clarity moment to forcefully condemn Hamas terrorism?’
Former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley condemned Hamas support on college campuses as ‘not the values of America’
The third GOP presidential debate was marked by hostility, however the candidates seemed to find a rare point of agreement over US support for Israel. Pictured (L-R) on the stage Wednesday: Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and U.S. Senator Tim Scott
Pro-Palestine protestors descended on Harvard University as the conflict in the Middle East escalated in recent weeks, pictured on October 14, 2023
Anti-Semitic hate crimes have been surging on college campuses, with Cornell University pictured littered by graffiti
In response, DeSantis argued that he showed his strong support for Israel early by becoming the first GOP candidate to call for deporting terrorist sympathizing students.
‘If you are here on a student Visa as a foreign national, and you’re making common cause with Hamas, I’m cancelling your student Visa and I’m sending you home,’ he said. ‘No questioned asked.’
DeSantis also took the opportunity to criticize President Biden as candidates sparred over the issue, particularly the White House’s announcement of an anti-Islamophobia initiative in the wake of anti-Semitism seen on college campuses across America.
He argued that Biden ‘should have the Department of Justice on these college campuses, and called for investigations into alleged hate crimes against Jewish students.
‘I already acted in Florida,’ DeSantis added. ‘We had a group – Students for Justice in Palestine – they said they are common cause with Hamas, they said we’re not just in solidarity, this is what we are. We deactivated them, we’re not going to use state tax dollars to fund jihad. No way.’
Haley, who butted heads with DeSantis numerous times throughout the debate, also took a similar attack line but stopped short of also calling for deportations.
Directing her response at pro-Hamas students, Haley said: ‘Let me remind you something, Hamas said ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America.’ They hate and would kill you too.’
She said the moment could be used for a national ‘soul search’ to ‘remember what we are about’, saying: That’s not the values of America. That’s not us. We’re better than that. We don’t need to celebrate terrorists. We don’t need to celebrate genocide. We don’t need to celebrate violence towards anybody.’
The topic was raised on the presidential debate stage following a surge in anti-Semitic incidents due to the conflict in the Middle East, with Jewish advocacy groups previously telling DailyMail.com there has been a marked rise in ‘violent assaults, intimidation, and harassment’ reports.
Nearly 100 incidents of anti-Semitic violence or intimidation have been recorded at US colleges and universities since the Hamas attacks and ensuing conflict
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (center) pledged to deport pro-Hamas students, a policy that was not explicitly supported by Haley (left) or businessman Vivek Ramaswamy (right)
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (left) and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (right) both also signaled their support to combat anti-Semitism at the debate
Calls for mass deportations and Visa cancellations were also matched by South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who touted several pieces of legislation he introduced to fight anti-Semitism.
He added: ‘We must force the people off those campuses and out of our country.’
The early stages of the debate were marked by outbursts from entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, such as demanding the resignation of RNC Chairwoman Rhonda McDaniel in his opening statement.
But the businessman was more withheld in his stance on pro-Hamas students, who he said should be handled through ‘leadership not censorship.’
Labelling anti-Semitism as a ‘deep cancer’ in US society, Ramaswamy said: ‘Leadership means fill that void with purpose and meaning. Dilute this wokeism and anti-Semitism to irrelevance.’
He also suggested the hardline moves put forward by his rivals would be slippery slope to censoring other controversial stances.
‘Mark my words, soon they will say if you question a vaccine and its side effects you’re a bioterrorist,’ he said.
‘Soon they will say that if you show up at a school board meeting, you’re a domestic terrorist. Soon if they say that J6 prisoners should be released, you’re an insurrectionist terrorist. So that’s where this road ends.
‘We don’t quash this with censorship because that creates a worst underbelly. We quell it through leadership by calling it out.’
NBC News anchor Lester Holt (left) struggled to contain the audience’s reaction as the debate got off to a hot start. He co-moderated the debate alongside Kristen Welker (right) and Hugh Hewitt (not pictured)
Many viewers remarked after the debate that Haley put in a strong showing, particularly due to her foreign policy credentials and the central focus foreign policy had in the discussion
The early stages of the debate were marked with several strong statements among the candidates looking for an initial soundbite, which was met with raucous reactions from the audience.
NBC anchor Lester Holt, who moderated the debate alongside NBC correspondent Kristen Welker and radio host Hugh Hewitt, struggled to contain the crowd.
The loud crowd reactions were noticeable right from the opening statements, when Haley’s remarks saw Holt immediately chime in to the audience: ‘Let’s not go down this road.’
‘We’ve asked you to please, you know, keep restraining yourselves… these are important issues and the voters want and need to hear them,’ he said.
Holt’s first question asked the candidates why they should be nominated over former President Trump, who continues to hold commanding leads in polls.
Ramaswamy took the opportunity to take aim at the ‘corrupt media establishment’, accusing the media of rigging the 2020 election in an early moment that drew a reaction from the crowd.
At that moment, Holt again petitioned the audience to quiet down: ‘Audience, let’s not do this, let’s not do this. Let’s let the candidates speak.’
The moderators’ struggle to contain the audience was hampered by several further moments of contention among the candidates.
In particular, Ramaswamy repeated his attacks on Haley as a ‘war hawk’ over the issue of funding for Ukraine, appearing to describe her as ‘Dick Cheney in three inch heels.’
Haley responded by quipping that her heels are ‘not for fashion, they’re for ammunition.’
The former UN Ambassador, who held the role under President Trump, was also embroiled in a hostile moment with Ramaswamy over the issue of TikTok, when the entrepreneur brought up her daughter.
After Haley joined her GOP rivals in condemning the Chinese-made social media platform, Ramaswamy claimed that her daughter was spotted using the popular app.
In response, Haley warned Ramaswamy to ‘keep my daughters name out of your voice’, adding that he was ‘scum.’