In this episode, I discuss a recent loss of a friendship and how it was handled by a family member, a cousin, a friend, a colleague, a former student, and a former classmate. I also talk about a tweet I wrote that has received over 32 million views on my social media accounts.
00:00:00.480Hi everybody, this is Gad Saad. Yesterday on my X feed, I posted the following post, which has thus far received 32.8 million views.
00:00:12.980I'm going to read it for you verbatim and then talk about some of the sequela of that post.
00:00:19.280I want you to stop and think about this for a moment.
00:00:22.160All of your children are being educated by academics, 99 to 99% of whom think that Kamala Harris would have been a far superior president to Donald Trump.
00:00:34.020These academics have used their minds to conclude that Harris better encapsulates the values of the United States.
00:00:42.800Choose your universities wisely or better yet, send your children to whichever university Gad Saad is at.
00:00:53.820Okay, so earlier today I went to my LinkedIn account and I saw a private message from a friend whom I truly love dearly.
00:01:08.440Even though we haven't been in the same city for very long throughout our friendship, we originally met at Cornell many, many years ago, you know, in the early 90s.
00:01:48.640And I received an email, a message from a private one where he basically said that in light of my positions regarding Trump,
00:01:57.120and he referenced specifically the tweet that I just read you, where I'm basically saying, look, all academics, 95 to 99% of them think that Kamala Harris would have been a better president.
00:02:09.140He did not see a path forward for our friendship.
00:02:13.240And I repeatedly had mentioned to my wife throughout all the years that, you know, of all people that I have met in my life, and I meet a lot of people,
00:02:22.900I really held a unique and special affection for him.
00:02:27.300There's a sweetness, a kindness to him that I always appreciated.
00:02:33.040The reason why I say this is because in his, you know, final goodbye to me, he says, you know, you're supporting someone that is, you know, targeting my community.
00:02:46.400Now, that could be taken in many ways, but certainly the black element is there because I know that a few years ago, I think when the George Floyd stuff was happening,
00:02:55.560I can't remember what had triggered it, but he had sent me something that was, you know, white supremacy and so on.
00:03:00.220So I saw dark clouds in the future, but I never imagined that this person with whom I've had nothing but positivity, fun, kindness, love towards, and I'd like to say vice versa,
00:03:15.640he thought that I was now just beyond the pale.
00:03:18.580I was just morally damaged because I was saying something that could be construed as positive against the president that was targeting his community.
00:03:34.480Now, I should mention also, by the way, before I go back to this gentleman, that my cousin with whom I went through the Lebanese Civil War,
00:03:43.740my closest friend growing up in Lebanon, who is a cousin, also disowned me a few years ago when I, you know, dared to have the audacity,
00:03:57.100the temerity of going on Tucker Carlson's show and then saying something that seemed to be warm about Tucker on my ex-feet.
00:04:05.660Thank you for your hospitality, Tucker. It was great for my family to meet you.
00:04:09.820And, you know, he responds publicly, you know, have you no shame and so on and disowns me.
00:04:52.380If your Facebook friends are posting comments with which you disagree, engage them and offer an alternative viewpoint.
00:04:59.960Do not fear the possible loss of friendship.
00:05:02.580Anyone who is willing to end a relationship because of a reasoned difference of opinion is not worthy of your friendship.
00:05:11.300If you are sitting at your local pub having a conversation about a sensitive topic, do not refrain from speaking your mind.
00:05:19.200If your politicians are succumbing to suicidal political correctness, vote them out of office.
00:05:25.460Donald Trump won the United States presidency in 2016 because a silent electoral majority in the middle of America shouted from the ballot box,