Trump’s Harlem Shoutout Raises Eyebrows During Town Hall Appearance
During a live call-in to a NewsNation town hall hosted by Chris Cuomo, Bill O’Reilly, and Stephen A. Smith, former President Donald Trump gave a confusing, high-energy response that had folks doing double takes. Smith asked a clear, respectful question about Trump’s ongoing issues with Harvard University—and what followed was… something else.
Stephen A. Smith tried to keep it intellectual.
“It’s interesting that you brought up Harvard,” Smith said. “Because when people think about Harvard, what they’re basically talking about is that they’re asking what you say to those who view your actions as an attack on academic freedom rather than a defense of fairness.”
Trump didn’t miss a beat before diving headfirst into what sounded more like a campaign rally than an answer.
“Well, I say this. We had riots in Harlem, in Harlem, and frankly, if you look at what’s gone on, and people from Harlem went up and they protested, Stephen. And they protested very strongly against Harvard. They happened to be on my side.”
Trump then added, “You know, I got a very high Black vote. You know that. Very, very high Black vote. It was a very great compliment.”
That moment sparked instant chatter online, especially in Black Twitter circles. Many were wondering what riots he was referring to—and who exactly went to protest Harvard on his behalf.
“Opportunity Zones” and Foreign Students: Trump’s Tangled Talking Points
From there, Trump steered the conversation toward his track record with the Black and Hispanic communities. He touched on criminal justice reform and economic policies like opportunity zones—topics that would’ve made sense if the conversation hadn’t started with Harvard’s academic policies.
“I did criminal justice reform. I did opportunity zones for one of the greatest economic deals ever for the Black and Hispanic community. I got tremendous– they agree with what I’m doing with respect to Harvard.”
Then he claimed Harvard receives “four, five billion dollars a year” in government grants but doesn’t serve the people right. He criticized their treatment of Americans versus foreign students and said those students “viciously hate our country.”
“And I’m saying, if we’re gonna give grant money, we want people in that school that love our country, not people that are gonna hate our country.”
From there, the rant became even more tangled. Trump started talking about remedial math classes at Harvard, questioning how a top Ivy League school could even need them.
“They said they want to teach their students remedial mathematics. That’s basic math. Two and two is four.”
Trump Threatens to Cut Federal Funding for Harvard
The key takeaway? Trump hinted that once he gets back in office, he might pull Harvard’s federal funding. That statement sent shockwaves through political and educational communities.
“So, we’re looking into Harvard. But we give them billions of dollars a year, and that may very well stop. And that’s up to the president. It’s up to our government. We don’t have to grant their money. We can grant that money to people that really need it and frankly, people you’d rather have me give the money to, Stephen.”
It was a fiery moment—one where Trump tried to tie federal education funding to patriotism and “respecting the country.” But folks watching the town hall weren’t sure what the Harlem reference had to do with any of it.
Black Viewers React: “What Riots in Harlem?”
As soon as Trump’s comments aired, social media lit up. Viewers were confused, amused, and in some cases—offended. Harlem residents took to X (formerly Twitter) to ask what riots Trump was even talking about.
Others clapped back at his “very high Black vote” comment, calling it pandering.
Still, Trump’s team doubled down, sharing the full town hall clip and praising his remarks as proof that he’s “not afraid to tell the truth about liberal institutions.”