Featured Image Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Topics: Jeffrey Epstein, News, US News, Education, Donald Trump
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: Jeffrey Epstein, News, US News, Education, Donald Trump
A video showing a Harvard professor making an odd admission about Jeffrey Epstein ahead of teaching a lecture has begun to spread on social media.
Harvard University professor Larry Summers, 70, addressed his students earlier this week to give what would have likely been a surprising statement.
He told his students that he had previously been in contact with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and was regretful of that fact.
Newly released emails of Epstein and his associates showed he had spoken with Summers over the years and communication only stopped a few months before child sex offender Epstein’s arrest in 2019.
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The video of Summers admitting this to his class has gone viral, and despite his apology, he made it clear he intended to continue teaching his class.
He said: “Some of you will have seen my statement of regret, expressing my shame, with uh respect to what I did, communication with Mr. Epstein.
“I have said that I am going to step back from public activities for a while. But I think its important to fulfil my teaching obligations and so, with your permission, I'm, we’re going to go forward and talk about the material in the class."
He said this before continuing his lecture titled: The G20: Multilateralism and its Future.
This speech was first shared by a student on TikTok who shot a video of the room, and captioned it: “POV your Harvard prof opens class by recognizing he’s in the Epstein Files."
However, despite his initial intentions, after his speech a spokesperson made it clear that Summers would no longer be teaching his economics class.
Speaking to the Harvard Crimson, a spokesperson for Summers said: “Mr. Summers has decided it’s in the best interest of the Center for him to go on leave from his role as Director as Harvard undertakes its review.
“His co-teachers will complete the remaining three class sessions of the courses he has been teaching with them this semester, and he is not scheduled to teach next semester.”
The outlet also reported that Summers’ leave as director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School is effective immediately.
As well as his post at the school as professor, Summers also had multiple other gigs including serving on the board of directors for software company OpenAI and interactive learning company Skillsoft, a Bloomberg columnist, a New York Times guest essayist as well as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress think tank.
The emails revealed a conversation between Summers and Epstein regarding president Trump.
Writing to Summers in 2018, it appeared Epstein was following Trump's movements closely as he said: “trump – borderline insane. dersh, a few feet further from the border but not by much,” with it assumed that he is discussing American lawyer Alan Dershowitz here.
Summers asked: “Will trump crack into insanity?”
Epstein then replied: “This is not a new phenomenon for him. in the past he was told not to come out of his apt. thats how he got through near personal bankruptcy. is strength is remarkable. he is pounded 24/7.
"I hope someone close to him gets indicted, but not sure, otherwise the pressure of the unknown will force him to do crazy things.”
UNILAD has contacted Larry Summers and Harvard University representatives for comment.