'Pure Thuggery': John Thune Shreds Protests In DC, 'Appalled' By Lack Of Response From Biden, Dems

2 months ago

During remarks on the Senate floor, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) spoke about the pro-Palestinian protests that occurred in DC after Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech before Congress.

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Transcript

00:00Mr. President, as I begin this morning, I want to take a moment to address the events

00:03that transpired yesterday, just a few short blocks from where we're standing.

00:10The summer months are busy tourist months here in our nation's capital, and for some,

00:16the view from Union Station is the very first sight they have of Washington, D.C.

00:22Those who emerged from Union Station yesterday afternoon, however, were confronted not with

00:28the beauty of the historic station, but with a scene of lawlessness.

00:35Violent protesters tore down American flags that fly in front of Union Station, lit at

00:41least one of them on fire, and raised Palestinian flags in their place.

00:48Others defiled the monuments in front of the station with messages including, and I quote,

00:53Hamas is coming, and globalize the Intifada.

01:01Now imagine being a Jewish person walking to work past those slogans.

01:10Mr. President, we have a proud tradition of public protest in the United States, but there

01:17is a difference between exercising free speech rights and the vandalism and violence that

01:24we saw yesterday.

01:25In addition to what we saw in front of Union Station and elsewhere, an anti-Israel protester

01:30or protesters released hundreds of maggots and mealworms into the hotel where the Prime

01:39Minister and a lot of other people were staying.

01:45This is not part of the proud tradition of American political discourse.

01:54This is thuggery, pure thuggery, and I'm frankly appalled by how little we have heard in response

02:03from Democrats.

02:06The President addressed the nation last night.

02:08Could he not have added a few words on this disturbing display?

02:15What about the Vice President?

02:18Every single public official and every single American should be united in condemning this

02:24violence and vandalism as well as rhetoric that elevates terrorism and foments anti-Semitism.

02:34We are better than this, and it's time we started acting like it.

'Pure Thuggery': John Thune Shreds Protests In DC, 'Appalled' By Lack Of Response From Biden, Dems

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