Conan O’Brien’s Commencement Speech at Harvard
During a recent commencement address at Harvard University, comedian Conan O’Brien took multiple jabs at President Donald Trump and his administration. His jokes ranged from a mock lawsuit against the university regarding the “less-than-spectacular sex lives of undergraduates” to the “cast-iron bunk beds” found in dorms.
O’Brien confidently declared, “I am convinced that my cause is more meritorious than that of the President of the United States,” prompting cheers from the audience.
This statement was in line with ongoing legal disputes involving the Trump administration, particularly the lawsuits against elite universities, like Harvard, over claims of not adequately protecting Jewish students from anti-Semitism and racial discrimination in the admissions process.
Continuing his critique, O’Brien discussed Trump’s attempts to limit international student admissions, saying, “As you know, the current administration feels that Harvard is accepting too many international students.” He continued, perhaps somewhat sarcastically, “And who knows, maybe they have a point. After all, what have foreigners ever added to our American culture, other than music, literature, art, cuisine, fashion, architecture, dance, scientific progress, and the core of our moral code and ethical beliefs?”
O’Brien further expressed his frustration over what he characterized as an era of “extreme narcissism” driven by current leadership. “The current leadership in Washington believes that empathy is a weakness and that our country is supreme and isolated,” he said. He also referenced how everyone now carries a phone that promotes a self-centered version of reality.
In response to O’Brien’s remarks, White House Press Secretary Davis Engle stated, “No one in their right mind cares what woke celebrities in Hollywood say or think.”
Despite having openly mocked figures on the right in the past, O’Brien also acknowledged a misconception that the media solely targets conservatives. On a podcast, he remarked, “There’s a misconception that the media just wants to go after conservatives. And they don’t understand that everyone benefits when you laugh at yourself. Everyone benefits. When you laugh at yourself, you become more human.”
