While speaking to reporters prior to Tuesday's trial in New York City, former President Donald Trump blamed President Joe Biden for anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests currently underway across several universities.
Last week, a pro-Palestinian protest kicked off at Columbia University where a Gaza encampment was constructed on campus. Over 100 people were arrested, including Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar's daughter, Isra Hirsi, after authorities demanded the crowd disperse. The university later announced all classes would be held online for the remainder of the semester over rising tensions surrounding campus protests.
Other protests were similarly held at New York University and Yale on Monday night where over 100 other students were arrested.
Trump discussed the university protests with reporters shortly before entering the courtroom on Tuesday. "What's going on at the college level ... Columbia, NYU and others is a disgrace. And it's really on Biden," Trump told reporters.
"He has the wrong signal. He's got the wrong tone. He's got the words. He doesn't know who he's backing," Trump added, calling the situation a "mess."
"If this were me, they'd be after me, they'd be after me so much, but they're trying to get him a pass," Trump continued. "What's going on is a disgrace to our country. And it's all Biden's fault, and everybody knows it. He's got no message, he's got no compassion and doesn't know what he's doing, He can't put two sentences together, frankly."
Trump then referred to Biden as the "worst president in the history of our country." The former president also noted a heavy police presence at the courthouse as opposed to university campuses where protests are underway.
"We have more police presence here than anyone's ever seen. For blocks you can't get near this courthouse," he continued. "And yet you have nobody up at [the] college where you have very radical people wanting to rip the colleges down ... and that's a shame."
The former president noted rising tensions among university campuses began with Biden's messaging on conflict in the middle east.
"The signals he puts out are so bad. And I can tell you he's no friend of Israel, that's for sure. And he's no friend of the Arab world either," Trump said. "He doesn't know what to do. He wants to take like a middle ground, and oftentimes that doesn't work. It's certainly not working here."
Trump then claimed Biden had "abandoned" Israel amidst their conflict with Iran and Islamic militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"He's trying to be as nice as he can to the other side," he said. "Call it the Arab World, but that's not working either because they get him. He's an incompetent man."
"Peace will never happen with a guy like this," he added before entering the courthouse.
