DeSantis Takes Strong Stance on Immigration and Support for Israel
During a Republican candidate showcase in Iowa, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pledged to cancel the student visas of individuals demonstrating in favor of Hamas if elected president, echoing calls by former President Donald Trump and Senator Marco Rubio. DeSantis and his rivals engaged in a competition to demonstrate their support for Israel, with South Carolina Senator Tim Scott stating that he would withhold Pell grants from universities that failed to combat antisemitism. The focus on students and academic institutions reflects a traditional Republican line of attack against liberal college campuses fostering "woke" extremism, which they claim includes anti-Israel expressions.