A student at Harvard University was getting ready to address the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Wednesday.
Shabbos Kestenbaum has been vocal about Harvard's handling of the fallout on campus after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and Israel's subsequent war in Gaza.
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Kestenbaum, who identifies himself as a lifelong Democrat, says former President Donald Trump's campaign asked him to speak at the convention about two weeks ago.
"Nervous doesn't begin to cut it," he said Wednesday. "I think the largest crowd I've ever spoken to was maybe 1,000 people. This will be, I think, 10,000 in the room alone, not to mention the millions of people watching on TV, not to mention the former president of the United Stats in the room, as well."
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Kestenbaum joined a lawsuit filed against Harvard alleging the school didn't do enough to protect students. He said he is grateful for the opportunity to speak at the RNC.
"When your freedoms, when your religion, and when your values are under assault, you must — must — stand up and fight back," he told NBC10 Boston.
The student says his speech is not about politics, but so much more. He said if invited, he would also speak at the Democratic National Convention.
He says it feels surreal.
"I'm just a college kid," Kestenbaum said. "I'm a scrappy Jew from the Bronx, you know, what am I doing here?"
