Harvard's president stepping down is giving the GOP the green light to probe other top universities

• Harvard president Claudine Gay has resigned.
• That's going to be a boon for Republicans.

Republican efforts to target top schools with congressional probes just got a boost.

Harvard President Claudine Gay — whose response to a question on antisemitism on campus at a Congressional hearing sparked outrage — has stepped down after weeks of increasing pressure.

Gay gave a bungled answer that she wouldn't outright ban calls for genocide against Jews on campus during the House hearing last month.

The controversy quickly spiraled into wider allegations of plagiarism against Gay — led by the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative outlet.

Already, Republicans are setting their sights on other top schools.

"This is just the beginning of what will be the greatest scandal of any college or university in history," GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik said after Gay announced her resignation.

Stefanik — who led the hearing Gay attended and was also booted off a Harvard advisory panel for backing Donald Trump's election lies — vowed to keep up the pressure.

"Our robust Congressional investigation will continue to move forward to expose the rot in our most 'prestigious' higher education institutions and deliver accountability to the American people," she said.

Rep. Andrew Garbino wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Two down."

"The forced resignation of Claudine Gay is another step towards ensuring accountability for the despicable leadership we have seen at liberal colleges," the New York Republican said. "Rot starts at the top and must be removed to stop the spread of antisemitism on our campuses."

Others like Florida Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez tied the Harvard controversy to the larger US educational system.

"Claudine Gay's shameless testimony was not only an embarrassment for Harvard, but an indictment on the current state of affairs at most of America's colleges and universities," he wrote on X.

The Republican probes into antisemitism on campus have dovetailed into other complaints from conservative leaders and commentators about diversity initiatives and free speech on campus.

Gay, a Black woman, faced allegations she was hired due to her race from billionaires like Bill Ackman to influential online accounts like Libs of TikTok, which has mobilized her audience against diversity and LGBTQ+ initiatives across the country.

On Tuesday after she resigned, Ackman reshared a post criticizing Gay's resignation letter.

"This is the poison of DEI ideology," the user wrote. "Glad she's gone."