Vermont college revokes honorary degree for Giuliani

A college in Vermont announced that it is revoking an honorary degree it presented to President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani in the wake of the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol last week by a pro-Trump mob opposing the presidential election results.

Middlebury College confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that it had made the decision to revoke the degree it gave Giuliani in 2005. It also said it has “communicated this to Mr. Giuliani’s office.”

The news comes after local outlets reported on Monday that the school was considering revoking the degree, with the college’s president, Laurie Patton, accusing the Giuliani of “fomenting the violent uprising against our nation’s Capitol building on January 6, 2021—an insurrection against democracy itself.” 

That same day, the New York State Bar Association also said it was launching an inquiry to determine whether Giuliani “should be removed from the membership rolls of the association.”

Giuliani is one of a number of allies of the president who have repeated unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud in the presidential election after the race was called for President-elect Joe Biden in November.

In aftermath of last week’s riot at the Capitol, the former New York City mayor has faced criticism and been accused of inciting violence after telling supporters of the president, “Let’s have trial by combat,” before they overtook the federal building.

Giuliani was referring to Trump’s team and Biden’s team putting their respective reputations on the line over whether widespread fraud occurred in the 2020 election.

Trump has also generated a wave of backlash for remarks he made outside the White House encouraging his supporters to march to the Capitol and “show strength” before they stormed the building, while also again repeating false claims about the election.

“If you don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore,” he also said then.

Trump is now facing his second impeachment trial this week after House Democrats brought forward an article of impeachment against him on Monday, charging him with “willfully inciting violence against the Government of the United States.” 

Since then, several Republican House members, including House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (Wyo.), who serves as the chamber’s No. 3 Republican, have indicated their support for impeachment.