NEW ORLEANS– There’s been some controversy surrounding President Joe Biden’s son being a guest speaker this Fall for a new online course at Tulane University. WGNO’s Kenny Lopez talked to Tulane students to get their perspective.
President Joe Biden’s second son, Hunter Biden is in the limelight locally now that he’ll be an un-paid guest speaker for a new 10-week online course in Fall of 2021 at Tulane University titled: “Media Polarization and Public Policy Impacts”. This online course will focus on the current media landscape in the U.S.
“I think it would be cool to have someone so close to the White House and Presidency talk about ‘fake news’ and what it looks like and everything that the knows,” Allie Schneider, Tulane University Senior said.
Tulane students Allie Schnieder and Tamara Hammerman feel having someone with Hunter Biden’s knowledge could be beneficial to the course.
“I feel that he’s experienced it first hand given that he is in the spotlight. A very rare position in media polarization that we’ve been seeing,” Tamara Hammerman, Tulane University Senior said.
But conservative critics don’t think Biden’s son should be part of this course. Amongst conservative circles Hunter Biden’s too controversial, especially after former President Donald Trump attempted to tie Hunter to criminal acts in the Ukraine. Although Tulane officials wouldn’t comment on the controversy, these Tulane students don’t see his involvement as problematic.
“Tulane is liberal. Most people would sign up for the course, but at a different school there would be more of a divide,” Schneider said.
“I don’t think it’ll make too much of a difference as to how people see Tulane,” Hammerman said.
The online course will be co-taught by Andrew Schwartz, who is the Chief Communications Officer of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bi-partisan think tank.
Other guest speakers for this course include former White House COVID response coordinator, Deborah Birks, Juan Williams of Fox News, and Margaret Brennan of CBS’s ‘Face the Nation.’