The Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government announced late Thursday that it has withdrawn its invitation to whistleblower and transgender activist Chelsea Manning to be a visiting fellow at the university.
The announcement came less than two days after the school initially extended the invitation.
“We are withdrawing the invitation to her to serve as a Visiting Fellow — and the perceived honor that it implies to some people — while maintaining the invitation for her to spend a day at the Kennedy School and speak in the Forum,” Douglas Elmendorf, dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, said in a statement.
“I apologize to her and to the many concerned people from whom I have heard today for not recognizing upfront the full implications of our original invitation,” the statement continued.
Harvard’s decision to withdraw the invitation comes after Manning’s visiting fellowship became the subject of backlash.
Former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell resigned from his post as a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School following the announcement that Manning would join as a fellow.
And former 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney tweeted “shame on Harvard” in a message praising Morell’s decision.
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Harvard withdraws Chelsea Manning's visiting fellow position after backlash https://t.co/zIJituFTOH pic.twitter.com/Sqb0x7EpAT
— The Hill (@thehill) September 15, 2017
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