N.Y. Dem rips GOP's Stefanik after backhanded praise for her college president grilling

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY ) is being showered with praise from both sides of the aisle after she grilled the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and MIT over school policies about hate speech on their respective campuses — specifically related to calls for genocide aimed at Jewish students.

Video of the exchanges where the New York Republican demanded answers from new Harvard President Claudine Gay and Penn President Elizabeth Magill went viral, in no small part because Stefanik repeatedly posted the clips on her social media accounts. They have led to near-universal praise from Republicans and Democrats, including newly elected Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) who called out Magill saying her vague answers showed a “failure of leadership.”

According to the New York Times, the Harvard-educated Stefanik already has what can be generously described as a "fraught" relationship with her alma mater due to her support of Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection and her defense of him, as a member of the House Republican leadership, during his two impeachments. That in turn led the university to cut ties with her.

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In interviews with the Times, no one had a bad word to say about Stefanik latest hearing questions except for one of her New York House colleagues from across the aisle, who gave her a backhanded compliment for her televised performance.

Speaking with the Times, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) admitted, "Even a broken clock is right twice a day,” but added that his view of her remains unchanged, telling the Times, "She continues to be an odious demagogue.”

He continued by calling her star-turn, "Less about Stefanik and more about the glaring indifference to antisemitism among college university presidents. The cross-examination confirmed what we all know — that our college campuses are lacking in moral common sense. If I were them, I would resign in disgrace.”

You can read more from the Times here.