Arizona Congressman Compares His Grueling Harvard Admission Story To Jared Kushner's
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), a former Harvard classmate of Jared Kushner’s, blasted the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser for his comments on Fox News insinuating that Donald Trump couldn’t help Black Americans if they didn’t “want to be successful.”
“This is how the 1% look at minorities,” Gallego wrote on Monday.
Then in a powerful Twitter thread, he broke down what he, as a Latino teen not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, had to do to gain acceptance into Harvard, including studying for exams in between flipping burgers, borrowing a friend’s computer to finish his application and riding public transportation to meet his interviewers.
In contrast, the young Kushner had a father, real estate developer Charles Kushner, who was able to donate $2.5 million to the Ivy League university.
My freshman year of HS. I realized that the only way college was gonna happen was that first I had to do well on my exams. So I started buying used prep exam books and copying exams from the library. The school librarian is a close friend to this day. (Thanks Mrs. Conley)
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) October 26, 2020
Not knowing anyone that went to Harvard let along college, I looked up students in the student directory. I called anyone that had a Latino sounding name and left messages. A few returned my calls and helped guide me to get ready to apply for college. Thank you Gus!
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) October 26, 2020
Senior year! I am might be the only student to apply to Harvard using money orders but did it. Use a friends computer to apply (thank you Kobelt family) Figure our how to do estimated taxes, to do the FAFSA.
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) October 26, 2020
My interviewer hadn’t ever had an applicant take public transportation to see her. Was surprised when I told her I was taking it back home. She was kind enough to drop me off at the CTA stop.
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) October 26, 2020
Accepted!! I also was lucky to have a supportive Mom and sisters that encouraged me the whole way. They did countless things to make it happen. Thank you familia!
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) October 26, 2020
I apologize for the grammar. I am a little heated.
— Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) October 26, 2020
Kushner’s comments, made on a Monday episode of “Fox & Friends,” attracted condemnation from a variety of other voices, including former President Barack Obama, who criticized Kushner during a Tuesday rally in Orlando, Florida. Other lawmakers, including Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), argued that Kushner’s remarks revealed “white privilege” and “ignorance,” while Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) tweeted that Kushner was the “last person that should be lecturing the Black community on the value of ‘hard work.’”
Following the backlash, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended Kushner’s remarks, claiming that “internet trolls” had taken his statement out of context.
Watch Kushner’s full interview with “Fox & Friends” below, with relevant comments beginning around the 6-minute mark.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.