At a recent event hosted by the Institute of Global Politics at Columbia University, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was interrupted by a vocal critic who demanded her condemnation of President Joe Biden's recent speech.
The President's address, which called for over $100 billion in funding for various global conflicts, was the subject of the heckler's ire.
"The hypocrisy of this speech," the man exclaimed, interrupting the proceedings. He continued, "Can you please make a statement about President Joe Bidens speech? This is a clearly warmongering speech. President Joe Biden is calling for $100 billion of funding for Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine and were supposed to bundle these together and pretend like were gonna rush to World War III."
In response, Clinton offered the man an opportunity for a private discussion, stating, "This is not a way to have a conversation, if you want to have a conversation youre welcome to come talk to me afterwards."
However, the man remained defiant, asserting his right to free speech and accusing both Clinton and President Biden of not representing the American people's voice.
The exchange escalated as Clinton urged the man to sit down, and he retorted, "Im gonna exercise my free speech." The man continued to challenge Clinton, asking her to denounce Biden's speech and accusing the President of pushing the country towards World War III. Despite the man's insistence, Clinton refused to denounce the President's speech, ending the conversation.
The event, which was posted on Columbia SIPA's YouTube page, had the portion of the man's interruption edited out. The Institute of Global Politics, launched by Columbias School of International and Public Affairs in September, has Clinton serving as the Chair of the IGP Faculty Advisory Board.
In a press release announcing the launch of the Institute, Clinton stated, "Our world is facing increasingly complex and urgent challenges, from the global rise of authoritarianism to the rapidly worsening impacts of climate change." She expressed her excitement about partnering with Dean Yarhi-Milo to launch the Institute, which aims to bring world leaders and practitioners together in New York City to advance evidence-based policy.
The Institute plans to host a "cohort of Inaugural Carnegie Distinguished Fellows" over the 2023-24 school year at Columbia, with fellows including Stacey Abrams.
Clinton concluded, "There is no better time for this Institute, and no better place for it than at Columbia University." Despite the interruption, the event continued, highlighting the importance of dialogue and debate in the face of global challenges.
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