The first thing I want to say, is hats off the New York Police Department.

In less than two hours Tuesday evening, they cleared Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, getting the antisemitic, anti-Israel protesters out with no violence and seemingly no problems.

No one will forget the pictures of the Emergency Service Unit going up a ramp and climbing through the windows of Hamilton Hall. There were about 100 of them, and it was a breathtakingly wonderful sight to behold.

Why? Because, at that moment, any sane person watching would have breathed a sigh of relief that the police were back in charge.

The cavalry of good guys was back to restore law and order. And no one was hurt. And then the tents were cleared.

And then the protesters were cuffed, put on the police buses, and set off to jail. The thin blue line in New York City was back.

One of the most welcome sights I have seen in many, many years — and giving us all some hope. The NYPD should hold its head high today.

You know, if politicians would support the cops, fund the cops, and let them do their job — we would have peaceful and safe streets, schools, stores, businesses, and neighborhoods.

If you’re anything like me, you went to bed last night feeling safer. And, unfortunately, that feeling has been in very short supply in recent years.

My second point is to invite everyone to read today’s New York Post editorial: “Whether it’s Biden or Shafik, de-escalation keeps on failing.”

Regrettably, President Biden’s feckless foreign policy is all too similar to that of Columbia’s president, Nemat “Minouche” Shafik — a “bevy of toothless warnings.”

The editorial notes that Columbia started tough, initially bringing in the NYPD and suspending students.

Then, Columbia reversed most of the suspensions, let protesters build an even larger second encampment, and told students it wouldn’t evict them again nor call in the cops. That is — and this is my word — appeasement.

When you’re dealing with adversaries, in this case an antisemitic and anti-American student mob, you cannot appease. Ever.

The toothless warnings, the weak dialogue, postponed deadlines — none of it worked. Then, the New York Post moves on to Mr. Biden.

And, I quote: “Biden has spent more than three years ‘de-escalating’ with Iran: dropping Trump-era sanctions, paying huge bribes for hostage releases, begging Tehran to re-enter the Obama nuclear deal…”

The New York Post points out that Mr. Biden’s “escalation phobia” emboldened Russia to go into Ukraine, emboldened Iran to back the horrific October 7 terror attacks on Israel, emboldened Hamas itself as well as Hezbollah and Houthis, then emboldened Iran’s missile attack on Israel, and on and on…

De-escalation has become a modern synonym for appeasement. Neither ever works. Strong policies must be backed up by tough actions. Words are cheap. It’s actions that matter.

Mr. Biden’s appeasement has failed. Ms. Shafik’s appeasement failed.

Contrast her weakness and the collapse of Columbia University with the strong tough actions taken by the Universities of Florida and Texas, and the strong GovernorsDeSantis and Abbott backing up tough college administrators.

Is there a generic message here? I think there is. America’s adversaries at home and abroad can only be defeated by tough, strong, steady, and firm actions that back up strong policy messaging.

If you’re not going to take action, don’t say it. If you say it, then you must back it up with strong action.

Reagan and Trump understood this. Carter, Obama, and Biden did not. That’s the lesson.

From Mr. Kudlow’s broadcast on Fox Business Network.