Students walk out of Jerry Seinfeld's Duke University graduation speech

Lauren Edmonds
Updated ·2 min read
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  • Jerry Seinfeld delivered the graduation speech at Duke University on Sunday.

  • A video on X showed students walking out of his speech waving Palestinian flags.

  • Seinfeld has spoken publicly in defense of Israel during its war in Gaza.

Duke University graduates walked out during Jerry Seinfeld's commencement speech on Sunday, highlighting how American universities remain a political battleground.

A 25-second video shared on X showed students standing and walking out of Wallace Wade Stadium as Seinfeld, 70, took the stage. Some of them held Palestinian flags.

In the footage, some people can be heard cheering for Seinfeld while others appear to boo him. Reuters reported that some audience members also chanted "Free Palestine."

Seinfeld has been a vocal supporter of Israel amid the war in Gaza and was among the more than 700 entertainment leaders who signed an open letter in support of Israel in October.

The university shared a video of Seinfeld's commencement speech on YouTube, but the footage doesn't show the exiting students. Seinfeld steered clear of heavy topics during the speech; instead, he poked fun at the students and offered life advice.

Seinfeld mentioned his heritage during the speech while defending privilege, saying, "Use your privilege. I grew up a Jewish boy from New York. That is a privilege if you want to be a comedian."

Seinfeld graduated from Queens College, City University of New York, but received an honorary doctorate from Duke.

"We're excited and delighted for the Class of 2024 and their families. We understand the depth of feeling in our community, and as we have all year, we respect the right of everyone at Duke to express their views peacefully, without preventing graduates and their families from celebrating their achievement," Frank Tramble, the university's vice president of marketing, communications, and public affairs, said in a statement.

Representatives for Seinfeld did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The student walkout at Duke is the latest example of the tension roiling American college campuses.

Police arrested hundreds of people at Columbia University and the City College of New York this month during pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Columbia even canceled its main commencement ceremony this year following protests on campus.

Some billionaire donors like Leon Cooperman have criticized student protesters and threatened to stop donating to Columbia.

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