Stanford officials & faculty blame Trump for mass shooting in email to students

An email signed by multiple Stanford professors and deans blamed former President Donald Trump for the recent mass shooting in Atlanta.

The message cited Trump's rhetoric toward China in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the violence against Asian Americans.

A group of Stanford University administrators and faculty blamed former President Donald Trump for recent violence toward Asian-Americans.

An email sent from Associate Dean of Students and Asian American Activities Center Director Cindy Ng to students, a copy of which was obtained by Campus Reform, expressed desire for justice following the murder of eight people in Atlanta, six of whom were Asian-American women.

Several additional deans involved with the Asian American Activities Center also signed the email, as well as 14 professors from various departments.

The email claimed that “the recent exponential increase in violent attacks has been fueled by a former president who blamed the COVID pandemic on the Chinese.”

It added that “anti-Asian racism and violence must be addressed in the context of dismantling structural and institutionalized systems created to maintain white supremacy.”

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”We have a right to be angry, we have a right to demand justice,” the email continued. “We know that anti-Asian racism and violence must be addressed in the context of dismantling structural and institutionalized systems created to maintain white supremacy. We are committed to this work.”

We also know that recent events and what happened in Atlanta weighs heavy and may have you worrying about your own safety and that of your family and loved ones. We are here for you and encourage you to reach out to one or all of us should you need support.

Conservative students at Stanford were not pleased.

Stanford College Republicans directed Campus Reform toward a statement pointing out that “Stanford administrators are actively promoting the vicious lie that the horrific onslaught of anti-Asian violence and the shootings in Atlanta...were incited by President Trump and ‘white supremacy.’”

The group said that the message used “the lives of those who died...to mount a cheap shot against President Trump,” which represented a “baseless lie and distortion.”

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The students demanded that Ng apologize “for using the lives of those who died” in Atlanta “as political tools.”

Campus Reform reached out to Ng and Stanford University for comment; this article will be updated accordingly.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @BenZeisloft