Two New Jersey high schoolers ran into problems when they chose to wear President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” paraphernalia while visiting Howard University this weekend.
Allie Vandee, one of the white high schoolers, posted her experience on Twitter, claiming that she was harassed by students at the HBCU alongside her friend Sarah.
Vandee was part of a student group visiting Washington D.C. that decided to have lunch at Howard. Both girls wore MAGA hats, while Vandee wore a Trump t-shirt.
Things went awry as soon as they entered the dining hall.
Vandee said a man spotted them, and said, “F—k y’all.” Another man allegedly stole Sarah’s cap before a supervisor returned it.
To most people, it would be obvious that choosing to publicly support President Trump at an HBCU — days after he failed to appropriately denounce white supremacy —would be an issue. But Vandee claims she did not know that they were at an HBCU.
“While we were waiting in line not knowing the HU is a predominantly ‘black’ school, which either way SHOULDN’T MATTER, a man came up and stole Sarah’s hat,” Vandee wrote.
She added: “We were harassed continuously. The students took videos and pictures of us saying WE were being ‘disrespectful’, and that ‘us being caucasian, we should have known better’.”
According to her account, the group’s chaperone eventually decided it was best that they leave. “After a lot of hate, our head supervisors decided it would be a good idea to keep the peace and find somewhere else to eat.”
Student at Howard tweeted their distaste at the two girls’ audacity.
The university released its own statement via Twitter: “Today, there were visitors on our campus who were wearing paraphernalia that showcased their political support. This occurrence and the responses on social media that followed emphasize the need for and importance of human interaction. The recent events in Charlottesville are the latest examples of the deep divisions that exist in our country.
“Though this is an institution where freedom of thought, choice, and expression are ever-present, we will never compromise our values or allow others to convince us to do so. We will remain committed to truth and service and boldly affirm who we are and what we stand for. Our campus is a space for educational engagement to occur between both those who do and do not share our values. Thankfully, when visitors set foot on our campus they are met with some of the brightest and best students in our nation. Howard students are not simply academically advanced, political activists, leaders, and mentors. Howard students represent all that is right about America.”
But Vandee is unapologetic in her support of Trump:
“This is America. These are the people who are racist and disrespectful,” she wrote in her tweet. “It’s unfortunate that more Trump supporters have to fear going places than others. I will never be embarrassed for supporting Donald Trump. I will always support OUR president when, and wherever, I please.”
