In a recent development, Larry Hogan, the former Governor of Maryland, has retracted his proposal to partake in two fellowships at Harvard University.
This decision comes in the wake of the university's controversial response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Hogan had previously expressed interest in fellowships at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. However, he rescinded these offers on Monday, citing Harvards failure to immediately and forcefully denounce the anti-Semitic vitriol that emerged after more than 30 student groups held Israel responsible for the unexpected Hamas attack on October 7.
In a letter addressed to Harvard President Claudine Gay, Hogan expressed his disapproval of the anti-Semitism that has seemingly taken hold on the campus. He wrote, I cannot condone the dangerous anti-Semitism that has taken root on your campus. He further added, While these students have a right to free speech, they do not have a right to have hate speech go unchallenged by your institution.
Harvard University has yet to respond to POLITICOs request for comment on the matter.
The university has been under fire for several weeks now, with numerous high-profile political alumni criticizing its lack of immediate condemnation of the student groups' statement. In response to the mounting backlash, Gay issued a statement condemning Hamas's actions and asserting that no student group not even 30 student groups speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.
In his letter, Hogan expressed his hope that his decision would prompt the university to take substantial action against anti-Semitism and uphold the values it should represent globally. He wrote, This is not a decision I have taken lightly, but it is my hope that it may further spur you to take meaningful action to address anti-Semitism and restore the values Harvard should represent in the world.
Hogan, who served two terms as Maryland's governor from 2015 until earlier this year, has been open about his political ambitions for 2024. Despite not being widely recognized on a national level, the moderate Marylander has touted his popularity among a diverse range of voters.
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