NBC
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said on Sunday that Congress should not resort to policy to regulate the rise in hate speech on college campuses, arguing politicians should instead model good behavior.
“Not by creating law, but by creating example,” Romney told NBC’s Kristen Welker when asked about Congress’ role in combating hate speech after incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia on campuses. “Recognize that the people we choose as our leaders are not just going to write law and effectuate policy. They’re also setting the character of the country.”
The outgoing senator’s remarks came a day after University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill resigned following her testimony to a congressional education committee alongside presidents from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. When pressed by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the three would not unequivocally state whether calls for the genocide of Jewish people violated their universities’ codes of conduct, setting off a firestorm against all three schools and resulting in the withdrawal of a $100 million gift to Penn.