Following the attack on the United States Capitol, several colleges have rescinded the honorary degrees they awarded to President Donald Trump.
Some schools including the Middlebury College also took away degrees awarded to Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, while other schools are facing pressure to do the same, a sign of how institutions and businesses are responding to the January 6 Washington riot that led to the president’s impeachment.
According to Forbes, the board of trustees at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania already voted to rescind the honorary degree it awarded to Trump in 1988.
Hours later, the board of trustees for Wagner University in New York followed suit, voting to strip Trump of the honorary degree it awarded the president in 2004.
University of Pennsylvania alumni are pressuring the school to strip Trump of his bachelor’s degree, which the president earned in 1968, by threatening to withhold donations, though it is much more difficult for a college to revoke an earned degree.
Other schools in line include the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Citadel University and Liberty University.
In a violent insurrection, the rioters stormed past outnumbered police, rampaged through and ransacked the building, and interrupted Congress as it was certifying Joe Biden’s election victory.
Vice-President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the vote, as well as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers, were forced to take shelter. Five people died during the unrest including a US Capitol Police officer.
Political leaders across all continents have condemned Trump’s action, with many accusing him of dragging one of the world’s most respected and resilient democracy in the mud.
Silicon Valley companies including Facebook and Twitter have also banned the outgoing president who leaves the White House on January 20.
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