BOSTON — A professor at Northeastern University is trying to clarify controversial statements he made about Pres. Donald Trump during a lecture last week.
Economics Prof. Barry Bluestone, who is a well-known policy voice in Boston, made the comment last Monday during a lecture that was open to the public.
Bluestone was giving a speech at the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional policy, which he founded nearly 20 years ago, and was answering a question about a path forward for the country when the statement was made.
The Boston Globe contacted Bluestone and he told the paper he doesn’t condone violence and strongly opposes assassinating the president.
“Sometimes I want to just see him impeached,” he said in a YouTube video, which has since been deleted. “Other times, quite honestly, I hope there are no FBI agents here, I wouldn’t mind seeing him dead.”
He told the Globe the comment was an offhand remark and said a better way to say it would have been to say he wishes Trump would disappear or leave the White House.
Northeastern released a statement and said Bluestone’s statement doesn’t reflect the school’s views, and said they took down the video because the statement could have been seen as condoning violence.