Trump Compares Columbia Protests to Jan. 6, Wonders If Students Will Face ‘Same Kind of Treatment’

The former president’s remarks come as students barricade themselves in Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall. The White House says they are ‘not peaceful.’

Demonstrators supporting Palestinians in Gaza barricade themselves inside Columbia University's Hamilton Hall in New York City, N.Y., on April 30, 2024. Alex Kent/Getty Images

As Columbia University plans to suspend certain pro-Palestinian protesters after rejecting demands for the school to disclose and divest from Israel, former President Donald Trump asked if those who hijacked Hamilton Hall will face similar consequences to Jan. 6 defendants.

Pro-Palestinian protests have erupted at universities across the country over the past month, including the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin, Virginia Tech, the University of North Carolina, and others.