Northeastern prof says he wouldn’t mind seeing Trump dead: ‘Hope there are no FBI agents here’

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A professor at Northeastern University in Boston says he wouldn't mind seeing President Donald Trump dead. The professor made the comments while responding to a question about possible paths "forward" for the U.S. (Getty Images) 

Sarah TaylorSTAFF WRITER

               

Barry Bluestone, a professor of economics at Northeastern University in Boston, is under fire after making death-related comments about President Donald Trump.

Bluestone received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan in 1974 and has been affiliated with Northeastern since at least 1999.

       What were his remarks?

Bluestone told those gathered for a January lecture on law and inequality in the U.S. that he would be all right with Trump being ousted from the White House — even by death.

“Sometimes I want to just see him impeached. Other times, quite honestly — I hope there are no FBI agents here — I wouldn’t mind seeing him dead,” he said during the lecture that was open to the public, the Boston Globe reported.

Bluestone, also a founding director of the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at the university, made the comments while responding to a question about possible paths “forward” for the U.S.

Bluestone’s comments were featured in a YouTube video that caught the attention of many. The video has since been deleted, according to WFXT-TV.

Was there more?

The Globe contacted Bluestone for comment, and the professor quickly backpedaled on his comments.

In his statement to the Globe, Bluestone explained that he does not condone violence and strongly opposes assassinating the president.

“That would be as bad as he is,” Bluestone said. “That’s not how we change things in this country.”

Renata Nyul, a spokesperson for Northeastern University, said Wednesday that Bluestone’s comments “do not reflect the views of Northeastern.”

“The university and its leaders steadfastly oppose violence in all its forms,” Nyul said. “While faculty members are free to express controversial opinions, the university cannot provide a public platform for comments that could be construed to condone violence. As a result, we have decided to take down the video of this event.”