Dem Sen. Blumenthal: ‘Absurd’ to Say Harvard Fostering Violence, Antisemitism

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) declared that it is “absolutely absurd” to accuse Harvard of fostering violence and antisemitism and also argued that the Trump administration “essentially, is using antisemitism as a pretext to crack down on Harvard’s academic independence and freedom” by barring the school from enrolling international students.

Blumenthal said, “[W]hat they’re doing, essentially, is using antisemitism as a pretext to crack down on Harvard’s academic independence and freedom. And the secretary of Homeland Security said, very explicitly, this is a fair warning to all universities and colleges. It’s a fair warning that they are going to interfere with hiring and with curriculum, with admissions, and that academic independence is at stake here.”

He continued, “And they accused Harvard of fostering violence and antisemitism and coordinating with the Communist Party of China, absolutely absurd. But it is in retaliation for Harvard standing up to them and asserting its independence and the kind of retaliation that we’re seeing here and the attack on independence and freedom of expression extends to law firms. It extends to other institutions of the country that have the temerity to stand up.”

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