Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) questioned why those partaking in the viral campus protests across the United States are even protesting, arguing that most could not give an answer themselves.

The Florida governor was contrasting how universities in the Sunshine State have responded to campus protests with those in other states, noting how one encampment by protesters at the University of Florida only lasted “a few minutes.” Regarding the protesters themselves, DeSantis argued that “very few” of those protesting have actually studied the history between Israel and the Palestinians and are just partaking in the protests to support “a cheap cause.”

“And it’s very concerning. Some of these elite institutions around the country, are they just graduating a bunch of imbeciles?” DeSantis asked while speaking at the University of Florida. “I think, unfortunately, that’s the case, and that’s why a lot of these people are not going to have job offers.”

DeSantis also criticized the “really disrespectful” behavior many of the protesters have exhibited, referencing how protesters at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, had replaced the U.S. flag with the Palestinian flag. The governor also condemned protesters at George Washington University for vandalizing a statue of George Washington.

“So we’ve seen a lot of failures of leadership, we’ve seen some of these schools get overrun. That is not happening here in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “You are going to behave appropriately, or if not, you’re going to be shown the door.”

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University of Florida President Ben Sasse also spoke at the press conference, thanking law enforcement for working to keep peace among college campuses in the state. He added that the goal of police officers is not to arrest people but to ensure that people and protesters are in compliance with the law.

The school’s response to the campus protests has been commended by Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who argued on Tuesday that Sasse’s handling of the situation is “on point” for how schools ought to respond. The senator argued that free speech is an important right for U.S. citizens to exercise but that vandalism and destroying property should not be part of this right.