Mike Rowe: Ivy League Schools Have Lost Their Minds

Mike Rowe, host of “How America Works,” has vehemently criticized Ivy League institutions for what he perceives as their failure to adequately address antisemitism and extremism on their campuses. In a recent social media post, Rowe singled out Columbia University’s response to ongoing anti-Israel protests, describing the situation as indicative of the Ivy League having “lost its mind.”

In his post on the platform X, Rowe expressed outrage over Columbia’s decision to shift to remote learning in response to protests demanding the eradication of Israel. He accused the protesters of being “thugs and bullies” and criticized the university’s leadership for not taking stronger action against them.

“Consider the latest madness at Columbia University, where the president, Minochuhe Shafik, has announced a new round of remote learning – effective immediately – in response to a noisy rabble of thugs and bullies calling for the eradication of Israel,” Rowe wrote. He argued that the university should instead expel those involved in the extreme protests, questioning, “I mean, seriously, what does it take to get expelled from Columbia?”

Columbia University President Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik addressed the campus unrest in a statement, expressing her dismay and outlining the university’s steps to reinforce security and community bonds. “I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus,” Shafik stated. “Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm.”

Rowe also pointed out the financial burden of attending an Ivy League school like Columbia, which charges $68,000 a year, and lambasted the administration for choosing to avoid confrontations with protestors rather than addressing the underlying issues. “That’s what you get for $68,000 a year at Columbia – an administration who cowers in the face of thugs and bullies, and a university president who would rather make your kids try to learn off campus, than take a truly hard line with those students calling for the murder of Jews. For the love of God, expel them,” Rowe demanded.

Highlighting an example of the hostility faced by Jewish students, Rowe described an incident where a protester threatened students with a sign indicating they could be targets for the Al-Qasam Brigades. “In a now-infamous image, one demonstrator appeared before a group of counter-protesters holding Israeli and American flags with a sign pointing in their direction that read, ‘Al-Qasam’s next targets,’” he recalled.

Rowe concluded his critique by emphasizing that advocating violence does not fall under protected speech. “Calling for murder is not protected speech,” he stated, underscoring the gravity of the protesters’ actions. Meanwhile, Rowe’s own foundation, mikeroweWORKS, continues its efforts to place young people in trade schools, which he suggests offer a more stable and inclusive educational environment compared to the turbulent climate he perceives at Ivy League universities.