‘Profoundly Disappointed’: John Fetterman Rips Off Harvard Collar During Yeshiva University Speech

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) received a standing ovation after ripping off his Harvard University collar — and proclaiming that he was “profoundly disappointed” in his alma mater — during a commencement speech at Yeshiva University in New York.

Fetterman, who has been a vocal supporter of Israel since the devastating Hamas terror attacks on Israel last October 7th, explained that even though he himself had earned the Harvard collar when he graduated from the Ivy League institution, he did not feel right about wearing it given the school’s failure to deal with anti-Semitism on campus.

WATCH:

To a standing ovation, Senator John Fetterman removed his Harvard Crimson hood during commencement today in outrage over the rampant antisemitism here on campus. This is what true leadership looks like!
🎥 @safier pic.twitter.com/2nSG1liuja

— Shabbos Kestenbaum (@ShabbosK) May 29, 2024

“I was putting together my speech, and I started to reflect the way probably all of you do,” Fetterman began, noting that his last graduation had been some 25 years earlier when he earned his degree from Harvard University.

“It was literally a quarter-century ago, 25 years ago, and I was graduating from Harvard University,” he said, and after a pause, several in the audience booed. “But today, I have been profoundly disappointed in the way — Harvard’s inability to stand up for the Jewish community after October 7. And for me personally, I do not fundamentally believe that it is right for me to wear this today.”

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He removed his collar then, and the applause was immediate. Some in the audience cheered, and within seconds, they began to get to their feet, still clapping and cheering.

“The Jewish community everywhere deserves our support. And I promise you will always have mine,” Fetterman added.

The Pennsylvania Democrat has previously criticized his alma mater, particularly since the October 7th attacks, saying, “As an alum of Harvard — look, I graduated 25 years ago, and of course, it was always a little pinko. But now, I don’t recognize it.”