Republican Rips Biden for Canceling Loans of Students 'Siding With Hamas'

Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn questioned loan cancellation for students involved in pro-Palestinian groups.

On October 7, Hamas militants led a surprise attack on Israel, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say his nation is "at war." Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched dozens of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip over the past few days. There have been over 2,600 deaths combined from the ongoing fighting, the Associated Press reported.

"Leftist college students are siding with Hamas. Why does Biden want you to pay for their student loans?" Blackburn wrote on X, formerly Twitter on Thursday.

In another post to X, Blackburn shared a clip from a recent interview with Fox News where she further spoke about student groups expressing support for Palestinian people, amid the ongoing fighting between Hamas militants and Israel.

"These student groups have spoken out and have spoken against Israel. When you have had the BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] movement on so many campuses, when you have people on these campuses that are siding with these groups, it should concern everyone," Blackburn said. "When you see the beheading of children, when you see women being dragged through the street by their hair...how can you possibly say that that is good, there is such a lack of moral clarity on this issue."

Palestinian Support on College Campuses

Shortly after the fighting began, some activist groups at colleges issued statements in support of Palestinian people. A group of 34 Harvard student organizations issued a statement saying, "We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence," adding that Harvard should "take action to stop the ongoing annihilation of Palestinians."

The City College of New York Students for Justice in Palestine also issued a statement saying, "The Students for Justice in Palestine at the City University of New York support the Palestinian people, who are facing ongoing violence and ethnic cleansing inflicted under Israeli apartheid. Our hearts go out to Palestinians, who have been murdered, wrongfully, incarcerated, displaced, or separated from their families."

President Joe Biden's student loan cancelation plan was previously spiked by the U.S. Supreme Court but he has continued to take other measures in an effort to alleviate student loan payments. Despite Blackburn's post on X, Biden or the U.S. Department of Education never announced a plan to specifically cancel student loan debt for students involved in pro-Palestinian activist groups.

Some social media users responded to Blackburn's post criticizing her statement.

"We are not your political football. Don't use the death of Jews to try and saddle people with debt. Have some shame," X user Shaiel Ben-Ephraim wrote.

Similarly, X user Pesach Lattin wrote, "WTF is wrong with you? The idea that every single student (lots of Jews) hates Jews is absurd. Not even remotely true. Students are like America. Diverse."

Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.

Harvard President Claudine Gay issued a statement responding to the student activist groups saying, "As the events of recent days continue to reverberate, let there be no doubt that I condemn the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas...Let me also state, on this matter as on others, that while our students have the right to speak for themselves, no student group—not even 30 student groups—speaks for Harvard University or its leadership."