Rep. Cloud to Newsmax: Harvard Struggling With Its Motto

Harvard University is struggling with its motto — "truth" — after its President, Claudine Gay, blundered in answering Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.,'s questions on antisemitism during a House hearing on Tuesday, Texas Republican Rep. Michael Cloud told Newsmax.

Appearing Monday on "The Chris Salcedo Show," Cloud said that "it's sad to see what's going on. And I can tell you, in Harvard's case for example, their motto is 'truth.' And to see them struggle with it, in a hearing, was just a sight to behold.

"And it's yes — they have a right to their opinion as an individual," the congressman adds, "but we also have a right to say 'that's not [who] we think should be leading our universities in this great country.' "

During Tuesday's hearing, Stefanik grilled the presidents of the elite universities, at one point asking Harvard's president, "Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate Harvard's rule of bullying and harassment? Yes or no?"

Gay responded that "antisemitic rhetoric when it crosses into bullying, harassment — intimidation — that is actionable conduct, and we do take action."

Just a week ago, shortly before the university presidents testified, the House passed a resolution equating antisemitism with anti-Zionism.

According to University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer, coauthor of the colloquially known "Israel Lobby," one "can define antisemitism any way you want, right? And you can define antisemitism to incorporate anti-Zionism. And I think we have reached the point where antisemitism is identified today, not just with anti-Zionism, but with criticism of Israel."

"If you criticize Israel, people will say — some people will say — 'you're an antisemite.' And if that's your definition of antisemitism, it's taken an important term and stretched it to the point where it's meaningless, right?"

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