Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, called for the deportation of pro-Hamas protestors during a Newsmax interview in 2023. Her comments came just weeks after the October 7th attacks on Israel.
Bondi expressed concerns about pro-Hamas sentiment among students on U.S. campuses, stating, “Whether they’re here as Americans or on student visas, and they’re out there saying, ‘I support Hamas,’ they need to be taken out of our country.” She added that the FBI should immediately investigate anyone openly supporting Hamas.
Bondi clarified that her remarks were not aimed at those showing solidarity with Palestinian civilians but rather those openly endorsing Hamas, which she equated with terrorism. She advocated revoking student visas and reinstating Trump’s travel ban, emphasizing the need for stronger measures to combat rising anti-Semitism in the U.S.
Her interview on October 23rd highlighted the increasing controversy surrounding pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. campuses, some of which featured rhetoric viewed as supportive of Hamas. The ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict became a focal point in the 2024 presidential campaign, with Trump gaining unexpected support among Arab Americans, even outperforming Vice President Kamala Harris in areas like Dearborn, Michigan.
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, was also known for backing Trump’s disproven claims of fraud in the 2020 election.
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