APSA Caves to the Mob

The American Political Science Association's annual conference is currently underway in Seattle, Washington. This conference is the largest and most prestigious social science conference in the world, often drawing 4,000-6,000 attendees. The Claremont Institute has been hosting panels as a "related group" at the meeting for over 35 years. Last Friday, I made the decision to withdraw the Claremont Institute's program this year after APSA, without explanation, moved all 10 of our panels (and our reception) to a "virtual" format.

Though APSA Executive Director Steven Smith would never confirm directly, it became clear that Claremont Institute Senior Fellow John Eastman's independent role as President Donald Trump's attorney during challenges to the 2020 election was at issue. On July 28, we got word from APSA that two of our panels were being moved from in-person to virtual. There was no mention of why, but the common detail for both was Eastman's presence. When pressed, Smith cited "safety." When we inquired for specifics, so that we might assess the safety of the rest of Claremont staff and participants in Seattle and prepare accordingly, we got no response. We reached out to the FBI and local law enforcement. The FBI has yet to respond, and local law enforcement said it wasn't their problem.

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