Conan O’Brien entertained Harvard graduates at commencement with offbeat humor and political jokes. He noted Harvard’s record of producing both Nobel laureates and white-collar criminals, framing graduates as among the best regardless of choices. He joked about “Justice Department spies” while defending international students and criticizing efforts to block them. He warned that current Washington leadership treats empathy as weakness and described a broader erosion of compassion in American public life. His remarks came as Harvard faced legal and financial pressure from the Trump administration over antisemitism and funding cuts. He also joked about suing Harvard over minor grievances and urged graduates not to let Harvard define them.
"O'Brien, who graduated from Harvard in 1985 and led The Harvard Lampoon humor magazine, quipped that the university had produced "more Nobel laureates or white-collar criminals" than any other in the country. "So whether you choose good or evil, know that you are among the very best.""
"While he joked about "Justice Department spies" being in attendance, he also defended international students - which the Trump administration has attempted to block Harvard from hosting - and criticized what he described as a broader erosion of compassion in American public life. "Our current leadership in Washington believes that empathy is a weakness," O'Brien said."
"He returns to campus during one of the most fraught periods in Harvard's recent history. The school faces mounting legal and financial pressure from President Donald Trump 's administration, which sued the school in March over accusations its leadership failed to address antisemitism on campus. Months earlier, a judge sided with Harvard in another lawsuit and ordered the administration to reverse billions of dollars in funding cuts."
"O'Brien joked that he too was suing the university over everything from uncomfortable dorm furniture to his "less-than-spectacular undergraduate sex life," claims he said had "more merit than those filed by the president of the United States." Reflecting on how his Harvard background shaped the way people perceived him early in his comedy career, he urged grads not to let Harvard define them."
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