Saying the name “Trump” is the fastest way to clear out a room, or an organization for that matter. Thanks to the vile POTUS and the disgust that he’s able to conjure up just by the sight or sound of his last name, no one wants to be caught dead associating with the Tweeter in Chief.
Earlier today, two history professors penned a brutal letter announcing their resignations from a public policy center after hearing that the University of Virginia had just brought on Marc Short, Trump’s former legislative affairs director. Worried that the Miller Center would be changed by the corruption that undoubtedly infiltrates everything that is related to Trump, professors Melvyn Leffler and William Hitchcock announced their decision to the the UVA-affiliated center’s director, William Antholis. The professors wrote:
I resigned from a think tank at UVa today because I felt it betrayed its principles in giving a senior fellowship to Trump advisor Marc Short. It is a sad day for me but I’ll continue to work at UVa with brilliant colleagues in the cause of civil discourse. pic.twitter.com/HsH1pw2hXK
— William Hitchcock (@WillHitchUVA) July 30, 2018
In the letter, Leffler and Hitchcock mentioned that Short’s “ongoing attacks on a free media” and his association with “rhetoric and policies that have empowered and emboldened white supremacists” had influenced their resignations. The professors pointed out that Short’s newfound involvement was “especially egregious” because it is happening so close to anniversary of the infamous white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, which took place on UVA’s campus last August. They wrote:
Until his appointment to a fellowship at UVA, Mr. Short did not distance himself from President Trump’s remarks about [Charlottesville]…by not emphasizing the threats to human decency posed by the public display of Nazi symbols and racist diatribes in our own neighborhood, Mr. Short was complicit in the erosion of our civic discourse and showed an appalling indifference to the civility of our own city and university.”
The two professors also complained that there hadn’t been a “adequate discussion, deliberation, and a vote” amongst other faculty about Short’s appointment.
Unfortunately, Antholis is continuing to stand with Short and insisted that he “brings a missing critical voice—one that represents members of Congress and the Republican Party who continue to support the president in large numbers.” In an interview with ABC News, Antholis said:
I’m very sad about the resignations, but we have to commit to understanding all the presidencies — the ones we like and the ones we don’t. Marc is someone who’s always supported and worked with his colleagues, and is a man of personal integrity.
The loss of any Miller Center faculty or staff member saddens me. As much as I respect the depth of feelings on this issue, the Miller Center’s core focus on the presidency, our commitment to nonpartisanship, and our demonstrated ability to promote civil discourse must remain our principal responsibility, especially in trying times.”
Despite stating that Trump’s presidency was “disruptive and dangerous,” Antholis said he hoped that Short’s involvement at the Miller Center will help the university gain insight into the president. He said:
I made a judgment on [Short]. His beliefs fall within the legitimate bounds of political discourse. I would hate to judge someone based on prior service in a presidential administration.”
Public resignation letters like the one Leffler and Hitchcock wrote have become so much more common during Trump’s presidency, as many Americans use it as an opportunity to express their frustrations and call the president out. We hope this influences others to steer clear of the Trump administration entirely.
Featured image via screen capture
