In what can only be termed a mild shock, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) endorsed an op-ed that promoted former Republican senator and presidential candidate Mitt Romney as the next president of Harvard University.
The Washington Post piece, written by David Rosen, was published on Monday.
Fetterman has a personal stake in the wellbeing of the embattled institution as a 1999 graduate. He noted the “almighty mess” of antisemitism pervading the campus and called on Romney to “clean it up.”
David Rosen penned the op-ed and explained his backing of Romney to head the troubled university. He said the Utah Republican has a “unique bridge-building character” that would disengage Harvard’s “age of toxic polarization.”
Former President Claudine Gay stepped aside under enormous pressure in December after she became embroiled in a plagiarism scandal.
John Fetterman endorses Mitt Romney for president — of Harvard https://t.co/4zw4hGo4bD pic.twitter.com/pDva53GWr3
— New York Post (@nypost) April 22, 2024
Gay was also widely criticized for her lackluster response to radical antisemitism on the Harvard campus as Israel retaliated for the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist massacre.
The once-revered school is now widely seen as a disreputable hotbed of leftist ideology.
As for Romney, he is a 1975 Harvard graduate. And while not a traditional Republican conservative, he would represent a major shift from the far-left extremism that roils the campus.
Romney fell out of favor with most Republicans for his opposition to former President Donald Trump, and rightfully so. And Fetterman’s endorsement as a Democrat may cause many concerns over Romney’s credentials.
However, Fetterman proved himself at least on one issue to be quite pragmatic and reasonable. He stood directly in the line of fire from left-wing radicals with his staunch support of Israel as it battles regional terrorism.
And the freshman Pennsylvania senator has not been afraid to ruffle Democratic feathers on numerous issues.
Fetterman cited the obvious need to adjust its leadership. He said on Monday, “As an alumnus of Harvard, and after this mad season of antisemitism at Columbia, I co-sign…Harvard and its academic peers need to recalibrate from far-left orthodoxy.”
Rosen wrote that Romney is “a staunch supporter of civil rights” and roundly criticized his alma mater for its failure to tackle anti-Israel bigotry on campus.
It would be quite interesting to watch how the Harvard community would react to a Republican — even Mitt Romney — leading their campus.
