On May 12, 2024, dozens of Duke University's graduating students staged a walkout as the ceremony's guest speaker, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, stepped up to the lectern. The walkout prompted many people online to claim the students were protesting because Seinfeld is Jewish, and those who participated in the walkout were antisemitic. A post by former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican, stated, "So students at Drake [sic] walk out because the speaker, Jerry Seinfeld, is Jewish? In their comments to the media, student protesters at Duke repeatedly drew attention to the crisis in Gaza, where Israeli military operations have killed around 35,000 people. Some students who did not participate in the protest supported the walkout, saying it did not disrupt the event and allowed students to voice their opinions.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 14, 2024 17:14 UTC