NEW YORK (AP) — Student protests over the war in Gaza have created a new and unpredictable challenge for President Joe Biden as he resists calls to cut off U.S. support for Israel while trying to hold together the coalition of voters he’ll need for reelection.
The protests at Columbia University in New York and other campuses have captured global media attention and resurfaced questions about Biden’s lagging support from young voters. His handling of the Middle East conflict is also being closely watched by both Jewish and Arab American voters in key swing states.
At best for Biden, the protests are a passing distraction while the White House presses forward with negotiations over a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas while pushing Israel to limit casualties with more than 34,000 Palestinians dead. At worst, they build momentum toward the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, potentially triggering scenes of violence that could recall the unrest of protests against the Vietnam War during the party’s convention there in 1968.
US overdose deaths dropped in 2023, the first time since 2018
Australian woman denies murdering her former husband's relatives with poisonous mushroom lunch
Zendaya's Met Gala style: Her biggest and boldest fashion statements so far
Christina Hendricks recreates her wedding for her Alzheimer's
Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry
The FAA investigates after Boeing says workers in South Carolina falsified 787 inspection records
Oksana Masters overcame traumatic childhood
Vietnam celebrates 70 years since Dien Bien Phu battle that ended French colonial rule
Revealed: Brit tourist, 19, subjected to sex attack in Majorca 'was gang
5 workers dead, 49 still missing after a building under construction collapsed in South Africa