President Donald Trump questioned on Tuesday whether the anti-Semitic, pro-Palestinian protesters who broke into an academic building at Columbia University and occupied it will get the same treatment that the Jan. 6, 2021, defendants have received.
"This whole country is up in arms. Breaking into colleges, knocking the hell out of Columbia University," he told reporters outside of the New York courtroom where he is facing charges of falsifying business records.
"They took over, I know the building very well, they took over a building. That is -- that is a big deal," Trump continued, referring to demonstrators who took over Hamilton Hall on the New York campus. The building is named for Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, a graduate of the school.
An hour ago at @Columbia University:
Pro Hamas students smashed the glass doors into Hamilton Hall inside Columbia, occupying the building, barricading doors with metal gates, blocking entrances with wooden tables and chairs, and zip-tying doors shut.
Watch: one of the students… pic.twitter.com/h5qpHcpgsx
— David Saranga (@DavidSaranga) April 30, 2024
WABC-TV reported that up to 60 protesters were believed to be inside the building. They hung a large banner that read "Intifada," referring to the Palestinians' violent uprising against Israel.
An INTIFADA flag is hung from Hamilton Hall.
What a desecration of this building. pic.twitter.com/edNyuXybFR
— Jessica Schwalb (@jessicaschwalb7) April 30, 2024
"And I wonder what’s going to happen to them, if it'll be anything comparable to what happened to J6," the former president continued. "Because they’re doing a lot of destruction, a lot of damages, a lot of people getting hurt very badly."
"I wonder if that’s going to be the same kind of treatment they gave J6. Let's see how that all works out. I think I can give the answer right now," he added. "And that’s why people have lost faith in our court system."
