Hypocrisy? Sen. Tammy Duckworth to speak at George Washington University after legitimizing movement to cancel its namesake
In 2020, Sen. Tammy Duckworth nodded at calls to remove statues of George Washington.
Months later, she will participate in an event at George Washington University.
Months after winking at those attempting to cancel George Washington, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will deliver a speech at George Washington University.
On CNN’s “State of the Union” program in summer 2020, Sen. Duckworth — who also earned a Master’s degree in international relations from George Washington — acknowledged that the argument to take down statues of George Washington deserves a hearing.
“I think we should listen to everybody,” commented Sen. Duckworth in July. “I think we should listen to the argument there.”
In the same interview, Duckworth went on to say that President Trump delivered his Independence Day speech on “ground that was stolen from Native Americans.”
[RELATED: Students demand removal of George Washington statue...at University of Washington]
Now, Duckworth will participate in a panel at George Washington’s April 15 event, “Celebrating 200 Years: GW’s Legacy of Public Service,” as pointed out in a tweet from Kara Zupkus of Young America’s Foundation.
“Join us for a discussion featuring three GW alumnae who are at the forefront of addressing the needs of our nation,” reads the event’s description. “The distinguished panelists will share how their GW experiences influenced their work, and what GW can do to prepare the next generation of leaders who embody the values of citizen leadership.”
Ire toward George Washington — America’s first president and a Virginia slave owner — arose after the death of George Floyd in May 2020.
At George Washington University, in particular, rioters toppled a statue of George Washington on campus. A crime log confirmed that the bust had been the target of vandals.
[RELATED: ‘Stunning image’ shows ‘toppled’ George Washington statue at GWU]
More recently, students at the University of Washington gathered 8,000 signatures to remove the school’s statue of George Washington — despite the fact that Washington is the namesake of their school and their state.
[RELATED: Students demand removal of George Washington statue… at University of Washington]
Campus Reform reached out to Sen. Duckworth and George Washington University for comment; this article will be updated accordingly.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @BenZeisloft
