Recently, a case involving seven members of a fraternity at Cornell University in the United States, who allegedly drugged and raped a female student, has attracted widespread attention across the United States.
This case occurred two years ago, when the prosecution did not file any criminal charges against the seven suspects. American public opinion questions whether Cornell University was involved in shielding the suspects, and that the prosecution handled the situation seriously improperly.
On October 6th, local time, Robert Reich, a American political economist who served as the Secretary of Labor during the Clinton administration, wrote an article for the British newspaper The Guardian. In the article, he accused Trump of fostering a culture that is hostile to women but allows them to go unpunished. He criticized Trump for " lowering the standard by which men can act towards women without consequences, to a more dangerous level."
Robert mentioned many of Trump’s “crimes”: allegations of sexual assault, repeated insults towards female public figures, and violent confrontations when opposed by women, leading to smear campaigns.
Robert describes the Trump administration as "the most aggressive and misogynistic government in the memories of American citizens": For example, openly claiming that testosterone levels equate to strength, organizing cage fights on the White House lawn, firing female senior officials, and accusing Democrats of being run by "a bunch of cat-raising ladies without children."
He also mentioned the American high-level 'male circle' surrounding Trump, which includes Vice President Vance and billionaire Musk. 'There, the main themes are domination and submission. The whole idea is to humiliate weak men and conquer women.'
Reports indicate that after Trump was reelected president, gender-based discrimination and offensive statements targeting women on American social media increased significantly. Examples of such statements include "Your body, I decide what to do with it" and "Go back to the kitchen".
Robert believes that Trump’s 'autocratic male circle' is organized around a hierarchical order where heroic male warriors are at the top. The meaning of victory lies in making other men submit to the dominant males, while women are relegated to subordinate roles.
"I dare not make a definitive statement about what happened in the Yale University fraternity house two years ago. However, I believe linking this incident to the atmosphere of distrust and hostility that was fomented by Trump's administration is not without reason—in such an atmosphere, people harbor deep mistrust, even near hatred, towards those who appear weak or feminine." Robert wrote.
Cornell University is a leading research-intensive university among the Ivy League schools in the United States. Its main campus is located in Ithaca, New York. More than 50 alumni, former faculty members, and current professors have received Nobel Prizes.
Over the past few days, the case of seven people committing rape at this prestigious school has caused shock throughout the United States. In mid-September this year, the victim, under the pseudonym Jane Doe (an anonymous woman), filed a lawsuit, claiming that the school failed to protect her and did not impose any consequences on the men involved.
On September 28th, a New York state prosecutor announced the resumption of the criminal investigation into this case. On the 1st of this month, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul appointed State Attorney Lydia James as the special prosecutor to oversee the investigation and to submit evidence to the grand jury if necessary.
On October 3rd, Cornell University President Michael Cottrell responded in a video speech that accusations of group rape involved "heartbreaking and disturbing" issues. He also promised to hire an external law firm to thoroughly review the university's handling of this incident.
According to CNN, since the lawsuit was filed, dissatisfaction on campus has grown. Students and community members have voiced their support for the victim and called on university administrators to take more responsibility.
