SE Valley Times

Blake Masters, a Republican Congressional candidate for Arizona’s 8th District, recently expressed his views on campus protests during an episode of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show. "I think people in the middle think that these campus protests are a joke, because they are a joke," he said.

"The day that the Arizona State protest was happening, I swung by campus in Tempe and I was just talking to some people, we got some video," said Masters, Arizona Congressional candidate, according to YouTube. "If a protester was wearing a mask and they had a Palestinian flag, okay you can't have a reasonable conversation with them, they're just deranged, but all these people who were kind of watching the protests, I got to interview. I got to ask like ‘hey what do you think about this' and basically they thought it was a joke. I think people in the middle think that these campus protests are a joke, because they are a joke."

In response to recent events, Arizona State University issued a statement explaining that the campus had experienced protests which exceeded standard demonstrations by violating several university policies. These violations included unauthorized tents, overnight presence, and use of unreserved space. As a result, these actions were classified as an unlawful assembly that continued beyond the 11 p.m. policy cutoff. The university further stated that non-student protestors were repeatedly informed via loudspeaker about their unlawful encampment and potential arrest if they did not disperse. Following this announcement, the number of enrolled students arrested increased to 20. These students now face interim suspensions with the right to appeal. Any additional disciplinary actions will be determined following subsequent investigations and hearings.

During his interview, Masters expanded on his perspective regarding these protests and demonstrations. He claimed that the general public does not take them seriously, saying "...all these people who were kind of watching the protests, I got to interview. I got to ask like ‘hey what do you think about this’ and basically they thought it was a joke."

Masters is currently campaigning to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. He has previously received endorsement from President Donald Trump for his 2022 race for U.S Senate. Masters spent his formative years in Arizona where he attended high school before graduating from Stanford University and Stanford Law School. He and his wife, Catherine, are parents to four sons.