Chuck Schumer labeled ‘traitor’ after damning report reveals he quietly advised Columbia leaders to ignore criticism of campus antisemitism
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is being slammed as a traitor following damning claims he instructed administrators at Columbia University to dismiss any criticism of the school’s handling of blatant violence and antisemitism on campus in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.
The GOP-lead House Education and Workforce Committee, in a 325-page report, contended the New York Democrat advised then-university president Minouche Shafik that the school would be spared any scrutiny by Democrats, explaining that the elite university’s “political problems are really only among Republicans.”
His staff then encouraged Columbia administrators that the “best strategy is to keep heads down,” according to the report.
“The self-proclaimed protector of the Jewish people. Chuckey Schumer is nothing but a kapo traitor. He should be ashamed of himself,” said former Brooklyn state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat-turned-Republican who heads the group Americans Against Antisemitism.
The report came after the committee’s months-long investigation into the handling of anti-Israel protests earlier this year on 11 college campuses, including Columbia, Harvard University, Yale University and Northwestern University.
Private emails and text messages of university leaders, including Shafik, who resigned in August, were among the documents reviewed by the committee.
A spokesman for Schumer insisted the report was “flat-out false.”
“Sen. Schumer regularly and forcefully condemned antisemitic acts at Columbia and elsewhere saying ‘when protests shift to antisemitism, verbal abuse, intimidation, or glorification of Oct. 7 violence against Jewish people, that crosses the line.’ He conveyed this point publicly and to administrators privately,” Angelo Roefaro told The Post Thursday night.
“It’s worthy to note here that Republicans are citing words from someone who is not Chuck Schumer. That is called hearsay,” he added.
According to the report, Columbia trustees ridiculed the committee for reviewing their oversight of the violence and prejudice on campus and texted about how they hoped Democrats would take control of Congress after Shafik’s discussion with Schumer.
In texts with Board of Trustees co-chairs David Greenwald and Claire Shipman in January, Shafik described Schumer as “very positive and supportive (and quite the storyteller).”
University leadership then felt emboldened to avoid any kind of meeting with Republicans after Schumer and his staff indicated that a forum with the political party wasn’t necessary, the report states.
Greenwald then echoed Schumer’s advice, writing: “If we are keeping our head down, maybe we shouldn’t meet with Republicans.”
Since Hamas’ murderous raid on Israel, Jewish Columbia students have received death threats, been spat upon, stalked and pinned against walls as the Ivy League school descended into a cesspool of antisemitic hate, according to a disturbing report released by the university in August.
Students have also had their jewelry ripped off while going to and from synagogue, been berated for showing support for Zionist causes, been called ethnic slurs and watched Israeli flags burned.
Anti-Israel demonstrators from an encampment on the campus barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall in April and attempted to rename it Hind’s Hall after a Palestinian child who was killed in the conflict.
Over 100 people were nabbed after cops responded to Columbia’s request to help oust the destructive mob that had illegally taken over the academic building.
“The report is more evidence of what we already knew: Columbia did not do their job to prevent antisemitism on campus,” said Ari Shrage, head of the Columbia Jewish Alumni Association.
“Unfortunately, the report also shows that many of its insiders are part of the deep institutional rot. Their statement today is another ‘word salad’ and the awful events on campus in recent weeks shows that they continue to talk but take no action.”
As the new school year started last month, Columbia was slammed by more anti-Israel protesters, who defaced an Alma Mater statue on college grounds with red paint.
“The recent report from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce demonstrates how the Democrats speak out of both sides of their months,” Republican US Senate candidate Mike Sapraicone told The Post.
“The reports of Sen. Schumer dismissing blatant violence and antisemitism are exactly why I’m running to replace his counterpart, who is just a rubber stamp. Election Day will prove that Americans won’t tolerate any longer.”
The Republican-led House Education panel also found that Ivy League university leaders made “an intentional decision” to cut language condemning Hamas’ massacre of more than 1,200 civilians as “violence” and references to their Israeli hostages from any official statements following the brutal attack.
“We denounce this act of terror,” reads an earlier draft of the statement that was jettisoned, according to the report. The report also found several schools withheld support from Jewish students.
Columbia has not yet responded to a request for comment.
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