On Monday, a 14-year-old high school student in Texas was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school. School and police officials sprung into action after they became convinced that Ahmed Mohamed’s clock was a hoax bomb, and actually arrested him—despite the teenager’s repeated insistence that his invention was just a clock. Many have taken to social media to lend their support to Mohamed, who remains suspended.
Joining the wave on Wednesday was none other than President Barack Obama, who just tweeted the following:
Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.
— President Obama (@POTUS) September 16, 2015
Obama’s comment joins a chorus of supporters, including Hillary Clinton, who earlier today tweeted for Ahmed to “stay curious and keep building.”
Assumptions and fear don’t keep us safe—they hold us back. Ahmed, stay curious and keep building. https://t.co/ywrlHUw3g1
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 16, 2015
Republican presidential hopefuls, however, remain silent. So please, Jake Tapper, broach the topic during tonight’s GOP debate. As our own Kevin Drum explains, it might even give GOP candidates a shot at demonstrating that unlike their party’s current front-runner, “occasionally they care about obvious bigotry like this.”