Bill Maher rips into Harvard, UPenn and MIT over plague of anti-Semitism on campus and presidents’ shameful Congress testimony

Bill Maher has labeled students at Ivy League colleges “damn idiots” over anti-Semitism on campuses.

The late-night comedian touted institutions like Harvard, UPenn and MIT, which were grilled in Congress earlier this week.

Addressing the ongoing issue, Maher said, “The bigger scandal here is that these are the largest, most highly regarded colleges in the country and they have raised a bunch of damn idiots.

He added: “Do I really think they want to wipe out the Jews? Not me. They live off buzzwords and what they read on TikTok, they want to be an ally.”

University campuses have become a hotbed of angry protests and increasing incidents of anti-Semitism since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out two months ago.

Maher had previously said that Harvard students who downplayed the Hamas massacre in Israel were as bad as Donald Trump.

His comments came after Harvard President Claudine Gay spoke before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Tuesday.

Gay then said that calls for a “genocide against Jews” on Harvard's campus would only amount to intimidation “depending on the context.”

The committee hearing featured testimony from Gay and MIT President Sally Kornblut and Upenn Elizabeth Magill on the rise of anti-Semitism on their campuses since Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

During a heated exchange, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik asked Gay, “Does calling for the genocide of Jews at Harvard violate Harvard's rules on bullying and harassment?” Stefanik asked.

“That's possible, depending on the context,” Gay replied.

The comments sparked immediate backlash and prompted 74 members of Congress to call on Gay, and the other testifying presidents, to resign.

“Given this moment of crisis, we demand that your administrations immediately remove each of these presidents from their positions and that you provide an actionable plan to ensure that Jewish and Israeli students, faculty, and faculty are safe on your campuses,” the statement read letter. by Stefanik reads.

The committee also heard from Liz Magill, president of the University of Pennsylvania, and Sally Kornbluth of MIT.

And he added, “Anything less than these steps will be viewed as your endorsement of what Presidents Gay, Magill, and Kornbluth said to Congress, and as an act of complicity in their anti-Semitic attitudes.”

Harvard Hillel leadership has also said they have no confidence that Gay will protect Jewish students at the university.

In an interview with the university newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, Gay apologized for the comments and said she became entangled in “policies and procedures.”

The House Education and Workforce Committee are now investigating Harvard, MIT and UPenn after testimony earlier this week.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, who questioned the three leaders, has branded the presidents as morally bankrupt and vowed to hold the schools accountable.

The trio all agreed that reprimanding students who call for a Jewish genocide was not of paramount importance, saying instead that the blatant anti-Semitism is “context specific.”

Since the conflict in the Middle East began in October, tensions over the war have increased on campuses.

The conflict has sparked strong international responses, ranging from peaceful protests to acts of violent anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

The Anti-Defamation League reported a nearly 400 percent spike in incidents in the US between October 7 and 23.

The University of Pennsylvania came under fire earlier this month after anti-Jewish slogans were projected onto three buildings at the school.

One message burst across the John M. Huntsman Hall, reading: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Slogans projected on Penn Commons read: “Zionism is racism” and demanded that UPenn President Liz Magill call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

These projections followed the school increasing security and contacting the FBI following a series of reports of threats against Jewish students.

UPenn said several staff members received “despicable, disturbing anti-Semitic emails” threatening violence against Jews on campus.

University President Liz Magill also acknowledged “swastikas and hateful graffiti” at the school.

At Harvard University, the Palestinian Solidarity Committee has been condemned for issuing a letter on October 7.

Co-signed by 33 other Harvard student organizations, it states: “We, the undersigned student organizations, hold the Israeli regime fully responsible for all the unfolding violence.”

Some of the signatories have been named and shamed, and billionaire financier Bill Ackman is demanding that companies refuse to hire them.

Harvard's president apologized for the statement, saying it does not represent the views of the university.

The prestigious institution also played host to large-scale Palestinian student protests.

At MIT, the university refused to suspend students who participated in an unauthorized anti-Israel protest for fear of deportation of agitators.

A group called the Committee Against Apartheid organized the protest and when they heard what was happening, a group of Jewish and Israeli students showed up to organize a counter-protest.

The statement from Kornbluth — who has been president of the university since January — said that after the clash between protesters broke out, “we had serious concerns that this could lead to violence.”

As is the case with many prestigious American institutions of higher education, a significant portion of MIT's student population is made up of international students.

Columbia University also launched an anti-Semitism task force to tackle the “terribly resilient form of hate” after a number of Jewish-related attacks and harassment on campus.

Other incidents on campuses include Jewish students at Cooper Union, also in New York City, being forced to take shelter in an on-campus library to avoid a pro-Palestinian mob.

Late last month, a group chanting “Free, Free Palestine” held a protest in the lobby of the college near Astor Place in Manhattan.

The crowd rushed past a guard and tried to storm the library, where Jewish students had taken refuge. Those inside were later let out.