Chelsea Clinton Confronted By NYU Students At New Zealand Vigil For Comments On Rep. Ilhan Omar

Chelsea Clinton received an earful on Friday night from a New York University student who said the former first daughter “stoked” the hatred behind the massacre earlier in the day in Christchurch, New Zealand.

It happened at a vigil in NYU’s Islamic Center for the 50 victims killed and dozens of others injured in the New Zealand mosque massacre.

Clinton, who is now pregnant with her third child and co-founded the Of Many Institute, a multifaith organization at NYU, had been invited to attend the vigil.

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After, several members of the student activist community, including senior Leen Dweik, confronted the former first daughter about her recent tweets to Muslim Congresswomen Ilhan Omar. 

Clinton, 39, criticized Omar last month and accused her of anti-Semitism on Twitter. “Co-signed as an American. We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism,” she wrote.

“This right here is a result of a massacre stoked by people like you and the words that you put out into the world,” Dweik told Clinton. “I want you to know that and I want you to feel that deep down inside.” She continues, “Forty-nine people died because of the rhetoric you put out there.”

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Maintaining her composure throughout the video, Clinton, responded by saying, “I’m so sorry that you feel that way.”

“Certainly, it was never my intention. I do believe words matter. I believe we have to show solidarity,” she added.

“What does ‘I’m sorry you feel that way’ mean?” another student, who was not visible, asked.

Prior to attending the vigil, Hillary Clinton’s daughter tweeted her condolences regarding the Christchurch tragedy.

“Heartbroken & horrified by the white nationalist terrorist attack during Jummah on the mosques and Muslim community in Christchurch,” she wrote. “Keeping all affected by this tragedy in my heart and prayers. We need a global response to the global threat of violent white nationalism.”

After the video of the confrontation went viral on social media, numerous Twitter users and conservatives came to Clinton’s defense, including Donald Trump Jr. and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

“It’s sickening to see people blame @ChelseaClinton for the NZ attacks because she spoke out against anti-Semitism,” President Donald Trump’s son tweeted Saturday. “We should all be condemning anti-Semitism & all forms of hate. Chelsea should be praised for speaking up. Anyone who doesn’t understand this is part of the problem.”

“Blaming Chelsea Clinton for NZ massacre is as dumb as blaming @realDonaldTrump for it, or blaming Bernie Sanders for assassination attempt of @SteveScalise It’s the shooter’s fault. Period. No one ‘MADE’ him do it,” wrote Huckabee.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, himself an NYU alum, also voiced his support for Clinton.

In a series of tweets, Dweik, the student in the video, defended her actions and clarified what she meant by her comments.

“I can’t believe this has to be said, but i didn’t tell chelsea clinton she was the one who put a gun to muslims’ heads. I said, & continue to say, that by jumping on the right-wing bandwagon & vilifying ihan omar, she fed into the EXACT discourse we were at the vigil to protest,” she wrote, before adding that a “number of people” thanked her for addressing Clinton.

“All of this stems from the anger and sadness i felt sitting in a space that was supposed to center me and my fellow muslims in mourning and instead became a space in which non-muslims preached abt love while turning around and supporting violent campaigns against muslims globally,” she continued.

Since, both Dweik and Rose Asaf, another student involved, have written an article explaining why they confronted Clinton at the vigil.

The two students have been receiving hate mail since the video went viral.