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Hillary Clinton has criticized Columbia University’s pro-Palestinian campus protests, which she alleged were heavily influenced by outside funding and groups, calling the demonstrators’ treatment of Jewish students “nasty.”

In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on “GPS” Sunday, the former secretary of state and 2016 presidential candidate described how she watched tensions at Columbia – where she co-teaches a course – escalate in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7 attacks and Israel’s retaliation in Gaza.

“There were already existing groups within our country and particularly on certain campuses like Columbia who had talking points,” Clinton said.

“They had a plan for protest and disruption, and I watched it morph into something that was not student-led, even though students participated, but which had outside funding, outside direction.”

Clinton blamed biased social media algorithms and external influences — though she did not specify which ones — for enflaming the campus protests.

Clinton said videos on social media represented a “one-sided,” “pro-Hamas” view of the war, and that many of the protesters she met did not understand the history of the complex, longstanding conflict.

“In trying to talk to students, not just at Columbia but elsewhere, I would be met with slogans. I would be met with attacks and very inflammatory language,” she added.

Some context: Columbia became the epicenter of pro-Palestinian student protests during the last school year, with demonstrations roiling universities across the country. Most of the protests were peaceful, but some erupted into violence and disrupted academic life on campus.

The majority of demonstrators were calling for divestment from companies that support Israel and the war in Gaza and calling attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave. Some Jewish and Muslim students said they were intimidated, harassed or physically assaulted by different sides.