Duke Students Walk Out During Jerry Seinfeld Graduation Speech

Students Walk Out Of Duke University Graduation During Jerry Seinfeld’s Commencement Speech Over His Israel Support

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What is the deal with Jerry Seinfeld catching shade everywhere he goes? (See what I did there?) Seinfeld has already gotten himself dragged across social media for insisting that the “extreme left” and “PC crap” have ruined comedy, when, truthfully, his corny and dated observational humor just isn’t as popular as it used to be. (As if Seinfeld has even remotely ever been considered an edgy comedian.) Now, the ’90s sitcom star can’t even give a simple commencement speech at a college graduation without inspiring a walkout. According to HuffPost, on Sunday, about 30 Duke University graduates left the ceremony after Seinfeld was introduced by Duke President Vincent Price. The students, who were dressed in their caps and gowns, walked out in protest of the war in Gaza, as Seinfeld and his wife are both supporters of Israel. Video footage of the walkout has since gone viral on social media.

From HuffPost:

Chants of “Free, free Palestine” could be heard as students carried the state’s green, red and black flag out of the football stadium. In footage shared on social media, the audience could be heard booing, though it was unclear if the shouts were directed at Seinfeld or the protestors, which appeared to be a sliver of the 7,000 graduates in attendance. Also audible were chants and jeers of “Jerry,” a reaction which sounded split between support and mockery of the sitcom star. Seinfeld, who also received an honorary doctorate degree from the school on Sunday, has been a staunch supporter of Israel amid its response to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. He’s posted on social media in solidarity with Israel several times since last fall’s incursion, and in December, the “Bee Movie” voice traveled to Tel Aviv to meet with the families of hostages captured by Hamas. His wife, Jessica Seinfeld, also publicized her donations to the pro-Israel counterprotests which spurred on clashes between the police and Palestinian protestors at UCLA earlier this month.

So, Seinfeld may not be all that controversial on stage or on the screen, but he appears to have made himself the subject of at least a moderate amount of backlash for being part of the American machine that blindly supports Israel while the death toll in Gaza continues to rise. But damn that “extreme left” with their “PC crap,” amirite? See how social media is reacting to the Pro-Palestinian support below.