On July 13, America experienced what seemed like another “shot heard around the world.” Former President Donald Trump avoided death by mere centimeters after a shooter attempted to assassinate him at a Butler, PA, rally. As news exploded across every social media platform, newspaper, and broadcasting station, one institution decided to stay silent: Marquette University.
The day after the attempted assassination, a Marquette alumnus, who provided the details for this article, emailed the university President Kimo Ah Yun, urging him to condemn political violence and reassure the community about campus security, especially since the Republican National Convention (RNC) would be held nearby and since 2,000 RNC attendees would be accommodated on campus.
In emails obtained by Minding the Campus, the anonymous alumnus shared his experiences as a conservative student, noting that many students like him had often feared retribution or harassment due to their beliefs.
The Manager of Presidential Communication, Kathleen Hohl, responded on behalf of President Ah Yun, stating that the university is committed to fostering civil dialogue and prioritizing student safety. However, her response did not address the request for a public statement condemning the assassination attempt.
At first, it seemed that Marquette’s choice to avoid commenting on the assassination attempt was to maintain neutrality. However, this approach is inconsistent with the university’s history of commenting and engaging with other political movements, even those unrelated to its campus.
Marquette, for example, released a statement condemning the January 6th riot. In response to the Supreme Court striking down affirmative action, they released a statement sharing that they joined an amicus brief encouraging the court to uphold the doctrine. They have a resource page for undocumented students where they urge political leaders to create a permanent solution in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to phase out DACA. They even have a statement on the student affairs website acknowledging that their institution has “participated in and perpetuated” systemic inequities, arguing those systems can be “disrupted and dismantled.”
Marquette’s silence on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump contrasts sharply with its condemnation of the January 6th Capitol riot and support for leftist causes.
The assassination attempt was an unprecedented event, broadcast live with graphic images, and holds significant historical and emotional weight. The university’s selective condemnation of violence—denouncing acts by conservatives while ignoring those against them—reveals a troubling inconsistency: Its silence suggests that it does not take violence against political opponents seriously.
We cannot allow our universities to memory-hole this assassination attempt, only upholding their commitments to nonviolence when it is politically convenient.
I hope that Marquette and any other academic institutions remaining silent on President Trump’s assassination attempt will reconsider their stance in light of this political violence and set a positive example by advocating for political nonviolence and assuring student safety. Failure to do so could suggest that the safety and well-being of conservative students—often a misrepresented political minority on college campuses—are of lesser concern.
Photo by Ed Bierman — Flickr & Gage Skidmore — Flickr & Edited by Jared Gould
There is an interesting omission in the Hohl email — “…to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, and staff, as well as our campus…”
What about the 2,000 RNC attendees to be accommodated on campus?!?”
Marquette did not do this out of Christian charity — Marquette clearly states that “[p]roceeds from these rentals will be used for student scholarships.” This was a profit-making enterprise, not to mention an effort to spread the name of the institution. Yet Marquette can’t be concerned about the safety of these people?!?
Marquette can take their money but not care about their wellbeing?!?
And this is what makes her last line referencing the Bias Response Team particularly chilling — Marquette, purportedly a Jesuit university, stand ready to respond should any of its students, staff, or faculty experience discrimination or harassment — but as to their guests, their paying guests — sucks to be them, I guess….
So much for Christian charity….
Thank you for speaking out against Marquette! Their silence cannot continue! I have attended Marquette and am truly disgusted by their actions, or lack thereof. Shining a light on their behavior may not force them to release a statement. However, it is nonetheless, important to bring this behavior out into the light so people, like future students, know where Marquette stands when it comes to freedom of speech and expression. Thank you again for publishing this!