Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) appeared on Varney & Co. on Fox Business Network on Wednesday morning to deliver sharp criticism on several key issues, including the Department of Justice’s investigation into violent riots at U.C. Berkeley, the national affordability crisis, and rising healthcare costs in the United States.
Donalds began by addressing the recent violent disturbances at U.C. Berkeley, urging a robust defense of free speech “across the board.” He condemned the actions of protesters who reportedly threw “rocks and bottles” at Americans attempting to attend a conversation.
The Congressman suggested the university’s environment has long allowed this behavior to foment and echoed a belief that the protests may be “astroturf,” or bought and paid for, rather than genuine grassroots movements. He called for an investigation on Capitol Hill to get to the bottom of the matter, stating the violence is “very destructive of our Constitutional Republic.”
“When you have conservatives, it turns into lawlessness, and that is because UC Berkeley, in my opinion… they allowed for this to be fomenting,” said Donalds. “The second thing I do agree with is that you have agitators who are paid to do this… I think it’s astroturf, I think it’s bought and paid for.”
RELATED: ‘War Zone’ At UC Berkeley: Chaos Erupts at TPUSA Event
Shifting focus to economic issues, Donalds criticized the current high cost of living, arguing that affordability is a “real problem,” especially for young Americans. While acknowledging the role of inflation, he laid blame for the structural costs on Democratic-backed regulatory frameworks.
He specifically cited housing, saying Washington, D.C., regulations make it “more expensive to build housing” and source raw materials. He also pointed to energy policy, noting the difficulty and time required to permit common-sense energy sources like nuclear power.
Finally, the Florida Republican turned his attention to healthcare, asserting that the nation’s affordability issues in this sector are the fault of Democrats, particularly due to the structure of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Donalds argued that Democrats are attempting to “cover it up with subsidies” instead of addressing the fundamental problem of high costs. He urged Republicans to stop “dancing around” the issue and present unified solutions to make America affordable again, a key policy goal.
The Congressman’s remarks covered core conservative grievances on campus free speech, government spending, regulation, and the efficacy of the current healthcare system.
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