Several Canadian university professors are being criticized online over posts expressing disappointment over former U.S. president and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump’s survival of an attempt on his life.
“Damn, so close. Too bad,” wrote University of British Columbia medicine professor Karen Pinder.
Responding to Pinder, UBC animal care researcher Ingrid Barta wrote, “Damnit, so close! And now he’ll milk being a victim for more votes. I reeeeally wish the person had better aim.”
Pinder then replied to Barta, “What a glorious day this could have been.”
Neither Pinder or Barta responded to requests for comment.
In a statement to True North, UBC spokesperson Thandi Fletcher said “the university is aware of Dr. Pinder’s post and looking into the matter.” She added that UBC “does not condone violence of any kind.”
Pinder and Barta have since deleted their X accounts. There are now several calls for the professors in question to be fired, with social media users expressing disgust.
“Monstrous reaction to the attempt on Trump’s life. These people are completely unhinged. They are enemies of humanity,” wrote one user.
“This is disgusting. Dr Karen Pinder needs to be fired from UBC immediately,” wrote another social media user. “This is why so much hate and violence occurs in British Columbia.”
“What are the risks of employing a person that celebrates the attempted assassination of an American presidential candidate? Ingrid Barta did that. It’s not okay,” another user wrote.
University of Guelph biology professor Shoshanah Jacobs was accused of laughing at the attempted assassination, although she later insisted she was not.
Jacobs, who describes herself as a “settler” on Indigenous land, quoted a video of the attempted assassination along with the phrase “when four inches really matters.”
She then also posted a gif of someone laughing in response to a description of the attempted assassination.
“I was making a point about how a couple of inches spared him. This was, of course, before I learned that someone did die,” she subsequently posted on X. “Not sure why my post is being misinterpreted.”
Jacobs also posted that, “Any death is tragic. I didn’t know that someone had died,” and claimed she shared the laughing gif in response to someone’s “sad attempt to rage bait me.”
“I hope that this loss leads to better gun controls,” she added.
Jacobs did not respond to True North’s request for additional comment.
The University of Guelph also did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump was addressing supporters in Butler, Penn. Saturday evening when several bangs interrupted his speech. One spectator and the shooter were killed, while another spectator was injured and in critical condition.
The spectator killed was 50-year-old firefighter Corey Comperatore. According to his sister, he died while attempting to shield his family from bullets.
The shooter was Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Penn.
On Sunday, Trump urged Americans to “stand united.”
“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand united, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win,” Trump said on Truth Social, a social media company owned by the former president.