Several professors have reacted with extreme comments regarding the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, drawing criticism and, in some cases, consequences for their remarks.
Within 24 hours of the Saturday incident, one professor from USC had his column deleted by Forbes after he suggested Trump will use his “surviving gunfire” story to appeal to black voters, and another from the University of British Columbia deactivated her profile on X after getting backlash for posting “Damn, so close. Too bad.”
On Monday, more headlines surfaced regarding another pair of professors in hot water.
Bellarmine University suspended instructor John James, who teaches English, after he posted on Instagram: “If you’re gonna shoot, man, don’t miss,” and included a screenshot of an article on the assassination attempt, the Courier Journal reported.
Meet John James. A professor at @bellarmineU. He’s very sad that the sh**ter missed.
.@bellarmineU any comment? pic.twitter.com/KOvMZsauwx
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 14, 2024
“The post went viral after being screenshotted and posted by Libs of TikTok on X, formally known as Twitter,” the Journal reported.
In a statement to the newspaper, a university spokesperson said:
Words and actions that condone violence are unacceptable and contrary to our values, which call for respecting the intrinsic value and dignity of every individual. We strive to create an inclusive community that welcomes all and models a spirit of goodwill. We are aware of an offensive and unacceptable social media post made by an employee over the weekend. That individual has been placed on immediate unpaid leave.
Over at the University of Virginia, one professor there argued the shooting was staged.
Emma Arns reported for Campus Reform that University of Virginia Assistant Professor Sethunya Mokoko posted on X the incident was “theatrics” and an attempt to gain voters’ sympathy.
According to a screenshot of the X post, Mokoko stated: “ignored him because trump & secrete [sic] service staged theatrics to win idiots’ vote.”
He was referring to a widely viewed interview with an eye witness who said attendees warned officers about a man on the roof a few minutes before the shots were fired.
Trump on Saturday was shot in the ear by a would-be assassin at a campaign stop as he runs for reelection. The shooter was shot and killed by officers after he got several rounds off, killing one rally attendee and wounding two others in addition to Trump.
MORE: Pro-Palestinian student group claims Trump assassination attempt ‘staged’
IMAGE: Fox Business / YouTube screenshot
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