Trump shooting: UBC professor celebrates, then deletes social media

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A UBC professor is in hot water after posting a tweet that appeared to celebrate the assassination attempt of former U.S. president Donald Trump, and another which lamented its failure.

“Damn, so close. Too bad,” wrote Karen Pinder, a professor at UBC’s medical school on Twitter. “What a glorious day this could have been!”

The tweet was published early Saturday. Pinder almost immediately deleted her account, but not before another user named @IR_AMauntie replied, “I reeeeeally wish the person had better aim.”

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Kareem Allam, a Vancouver crisis PR expert, said the social media gaffe is potentially politically divisive for British Columbians already feeling the influence of U.S. style culture wars, while ramping up for the fall provincial election.

While B.C. premier David Eby and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were quick to publish statements on social media condemning the act of violence, Pinder’s tweet was seized upon by B.C. Conservative party leader John Rustad.

Rustad said “this kind of radicalism” doesn’t belong in B.C. classrooms, and retweeted the account of someone who called Pinder a monster and demanded she be fired.

“This is why so much hate and violence occurs in British Columbia,” wrote Conservative party candidate Chris Sankey in reference to Pinder’s tweet.

In a letter to administrators, McGill PhD student Jamie Magrill expressed concern for the feelings of conservative UBC students. “How could a medical student from the U.S. who identifies as Republican feel safe in her class? A student who identifies as Conservative?”

Pinder’s tweet has the potential to drive Conservative anger in the province, and the party will target the provincial government because, although UBC is independent, it receives substantial provincial and federal funding, said Allam.

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“The conservatives are running a populist anti-establishmentarian campaign, and here is a member of an established academic organization seemingly responsible for shaping future decision makers inciting violence or demonstrating gratification of violence,” said Allam.

Although Pinder’s tweet may not represent the university’s point of view, that’s how many will interpret it, said Allam.

“University professors have a duty to provide context in times of crisis, rather than making divisive comments. What a university professor should be doing is analyzing and providing context, not piling on to what’s going on in the media, and that’s why the outrage is so strong,” said Allam.

Universities, like most employers, have code of conduct policies governing social media use, and Pinder deserves due process within the framework of that policy, said Allam.

The rules for people who are in the public eye are different than they are for those who are connected to high-profile institutions, said Allam.

“We are all entitled to our private thoughts but when you are attached to an institution like a university, you carry a lot of agency and the responsibility is higher.”

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In a statement on Sunday, UBC spokesperson Thandi Fletcher said, “The university is aware of Dr. Pinder’s post and is looking into the matter. The university does not condone violence of any kind.”

UBC would not confirm whether @IR_AMauntie, the account that replied to Pinder, is a university employee, citing their privacy policy.

Trudeau said he was sickened by the shooting, and that “violence is never acceptable.”

Eby expressed similar sentiments, stating in a tweet released shortly after the news broke, “No matter your politics, the attempted assassination of a former president and presidential candidate is horrific. The people of British Columbia abhor political violence in all its forms.”

dryan@postmedia.com

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