Just days after the horrific massacre in Las Vegas, and just 5 miles away from the scene, a University of Nevada-Las Vegas professor told her class that President Trump is to blame.
In a video obtained by Campus Reform, UNLV Assistant Professor Tess Winkelmann is seen addressing her History 407 class.
"Professors are in a position of trust, and they’re abusing it to promote their political ideology."
Referring to Trump, Winkelmann noted that “when he got elected, I told my classes three semesters ago, some of us won’t be affected by this presidency, but others are going to die. Other people will die because of this.”
“I don’t know whether these events would have inevitably happened whether or not he got elected, but he has the same rhetorical powers every president has, to encourage or discourage,” she continued. “So far, all he has done is to encourage violence.”
Winkelmann also charged President Trump with equating “right nationalism” with “anti-racism,” referring to the president’s comments on the violence in Charlottesville, VA.
She then asserted that Trump has “threatened nuclear violence against North Korea, and other places,” proclaiming that “words, especially coming from someone who is the President, have consequences.”
Some students weren’t happy with Winkelmann’s comments.
One UNLV student, who spoke with Campus Reform on condition of anonymity, called the speech a “politically-driven rant” to make the point that “President Trump somehow incited this violence.”
“We just experienced one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. History. It’s a mile [sic] away, and we don’t know what happened, we don’t know why it happened, and we’re pushing political agendas, and that’s what this is about, taking advantage of the situation for political belief, when we should be uniting, healing as a community,” the student remarked.
“At every chance the President got, he condemned this violence. The professor is taking away from the dialogue that should be happening to attack the President,” the student added. “Professors are in a position of trust, and they’re abusing it to promote their political ideology or agenda. I think it’s dangerous when you blame the President for a massacre, and basically shut down students who disagree.”
“I think it is despicable that a professor at an institute of higher learning, one that is located in the same city in which this attack occurred, would use her platform to spew such hatred and divisive rhetoric,” agreed another student, who also wishes to remain anonymous.
The second student did, however, say the incident was not entirely surprising because “this professor had previously made comments in opposition to Trump.”
Campus Reform reached out to Assistant Professor Tess Winkelmann, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @rMitchellGunter
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