Trump vows to crush pro-Palestinian protests after returning to White House

FormerUnited States president Donald Trump, while speaking to a group of wealthy campaign donors, said that the pro-Palestinian protests which have marred the universities will be crushed by him after he comes back to power.

Trump said that if he is re-elected, he will deport all pro-Palestinian student protesters to ensure that they “behave”. He further said that there will be a crackdown on campus protests which haveswept the countryin the past few months. Trump reportedly said that the group of donors encompassed “98 per cent of my Jewish friends".

Also Read:Police and pro-Palestinian protesters clash at UCLA after new encampments erected

“One thing I do is, any student that protests, I throw them out of the country. You know, there are a lot offoreign students. As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave,” said Trump, as reported byThe Washington Post.

Will push back movement by 25 or 30 years: Trump

The presumptive Republican nominee said that protests against the Gaza war were part of a “radical revolution” and said to the predominantly Jewish donors that he would push the movement back 25 or 30 years if he defeatsJoe Bidenin November’s presidential election.

“If you get me re-elected, we’re going to set that movement back 25 or 30 years,” said Trump.

He added that any foreign students, if found participating in the protests, will be expelled by his administration.

He also appreciated the efforts made by the New York police in clearing the encampmentsat Columbia University and added that a similar approach should be adopted by other cities. “It has to be stopped now," Trump said.

Several college campuses in the United States have been swept by protests in the past few weeks over thewar in Gaza.

Watch:Gravitas | Pro-Palestine student protests turn global: Will students stop the war?

The retaliatory attacks by Israel on Gaza have led to the death of more than 35,000 Palestinians, according to data shared by the Gaza Ministry of Health.

The former president has earlier spoken about the war in the Middle East and said that it is time to “get back to peace and stop killing people”.

As reported by The Washington Post,Republican donors have lobbied him to take a stronger stance in support of Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump also reportedly informed the donors behind closed doors that he supports the right of Israel to continue its “war on terror”.

(With inputs from agencies)