Sign in

Elise Stefanik blasted for celebrating Claudine Gay’s resignation while having backed Trump: ‘She pretends to care’

Elise Stefanik had backed Donald Trump, known for associating with antisemites like Kanye West and Nick Fuentes, who he had even invited for dinner

Published on: Jan 3, 2024, 09:33:04 IST
By
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik is being criticised for celebrating Harvard president Claudine Gay’s resignation while having backed Donald Trump in the past. Trump is known for associating with antisemites like Kanye West and Nick Fuentes, who he had even invited for dinner.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Education on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) (AP)
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Education on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) (AP)

Elise Stefanik’s statement on Claudine Gay’s resignation

In a statement after Gay’s resignation, Stefanik said, “I will always deliver results. The resignation of Harvard’s antisemitic plagiarist president is long overdue. Claudine Gay’s morally bankrupt answers to my questions made history as the most viewed Congressional testimony in the history of the U.S. Congress. Her answers were absolutely pathetic and devoid of the moral leadership and academic integrity required of the President of Harvard. This is just the beginning of what will be the greatest scandal of any college or university in history.”

“Our robust Congressional investigation will continue to move forward to expose the rot in our most “prestigious” higher education institutions and deliver accountability to the American people,” she added.

Elise Stefanik’s support for Donald Trump

A Harvard graduate, Stefanik in 2022 publicly backed Trump even asother Republicans widely criticised him for his failures in the midterm elections. “It’s very clear President Trump is the leader of the Republican party,” Stefanik said in a statement at the time.

“I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President in 2024,” she said. “It is time for Republicans to unite around the most popular Republican in America, who has a proven track record of conservative governance.”

Jamie Raskin questions Elise Stefanik

After former President of University of Pennsylvania Elizabeth Magill resigned in the past after the Capitol Hill testimony, Stefanik shared a post on X, saying, “One down. Two to go.” “This is only the very beginning of addressing the pervasive rot of antisemitism that has destroyed the most “prestigious” higher education institutions in America,” she wrote, in part.

In response, the Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin asked on MSNBC, “Where does Elise Stefanik get off lecturing anybody about antisemitism when she’s the hugest supporter of Donald Trump, who traffics in antisemitism all the time?”

“She didn’t utter a peep of protest when he had Kanye West and Nick Fuentes over for dinner,” said Raskin, who is Jewish. “Nick Fuentes, who doubts whether 7 October [the Hamas attacks which killed about 1,200 people in Israel] even took place because he thinks it was some kind of suspicious propaganda move by the Israelis. The Republican party is filled with people who are entangled with antisemitism like that and yet somehow [Stefanik] gets on [her] high horse and lectures a Jewish college president from MIT.”

Social media reacts

Stefanik is being blasted on social media for celebrating Gay’s resignation despite having supported Trump. Here’s a look at some reactions:

  • Sumanti Sen
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sumanti Sen

    Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More