Nebraska senator gives 'worst graduation speech of all time' after ridiculing fitness of students, calling Carole Baskin a murderer and blaming 'thugs in China' for coronavirus (16 Pics)

Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse has been criticized by the public, politicians, and even a state counselling association after he blasted 'thugs in China' for the coronavirus pandemic, mocked mental health issues and depicted high school students as lazy, in the 'worst commencement speech of all time.

Sasse, a Republican, kicked off an online ceremony for the Fremont High School graduating class of 2020, which opted to have digital acknowledgements due to lockdowns that restricted an in-person ceremony.

But the senator shocked viewers with his unconventional words right from the get-go with bizarre jokes about his own family and high school experience, and awkward moments where he referenced Netflix series Tiger King, and made fun of the name Jeremy.

'Congratulations, graduates — this is a big moment. Not on graduating high school but on making the journey down the stairs from your bedroom to the living room and putting on something slightly more formal than sweatpants,' Sasse began. 

'Your grandparents are proud of you, we're all proud of you, it took a lot of effort, we want to recognize your sacrifice.

'Congratulations, parents, teachers, coaches — not that there is really any major distinction among those categories anymore at this point. If you're a parent, you're a teacher. Thanks a lot, China.'

 Social media users have called Ben Sasse's speech the 'worst of all time' after he failed to focus on students' accomplishments and bashed China, mocked casual dress and made awkward jokes about popular culture

Senator Adam Morfeld pointed out the lowest points of the speech where he offended everyone named Jeremy and suggested students nowadays don't understand the idea of climbing a rope and rendered psychologists useless

Another Twitter user called the speech 'disgraceful' after Sasse also suggested that commencement speeches are pointless

Chris Jenicek called the speech 'painful' considering the tough time people are going through with the coronavirus pandemic 

Sasse, 48, – who has two young daughters and a son with his wife Melissa – went on to make fun of casual clothes and older generations having to get to terms with new technology to stay in touch with loved ones.

Seemingly trying to connect with teens, he poked fun at informal clothing while he wore a shirt and tie for the recording.

'We're all teachers now, and let's be honest — at the start of this, most people thought we'd be visionary math teachers, changing the world. After about two weeks, we all decided to just default to gym teachers. I'm kidding. My dad was a gym teacher,' Sasse continued. 'I'm serious. He used to teach English and social studies, but he always aspired to get to gym so he didn't have to put on formal clothes everyday and he could wear the same sort of sweats that most of you are wearing, from the bottom half down, anyway.

'But, anyway — I know, Dad, gym is important — if you're watching, Dad — as if he's watching! My children aren't at his house and, like all grandparents, there's no chance he can get Zoom to work without my children there.'

Sasse appeared to get serious about his message to graduates as he introduced a gym climbing rope analogy. However Sasse didn't seem to reach a point as he explained the concept in a somewhat patronizing way to teens.

He then awkwardly explained the joke he'd made and added further insult by suggesting millennials are out of shape.

'Graduates: Adults don't tell you this, but once or twice a week in real-world life someone's going to ask you to climb a giant rope. No reason, just climb the rope. Sure, every now and then, the rope is a metaphor, but honestly most of the time it's just a big rope, and you have to climb it. If you don't get that joke, talk to your mom and dad,' Sasse went on. 'Back in the day, when we were a lot fitter than you people are, we used to have to climb a rope all the way up to the ceiling of the gym all the time.

'So, gym teachers — those of you who chose to do it as a calling and those of you who have been forced into it as a calling, I salute you.'

While commencement speeches usually leave graduates with hope for the future and help them feel proud about their achievements, Sasse presented a bleak future of mental health issues for the class of 2020.

Sasse, 48, – who has two young daughters and a son with his wife Melissa – seemed to poke fun at teachers while pointing out that his father was one. Pictured, Sasse is ceremonially sworn in by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden with Sasse's wife, son Augustin Sasse and daughter Elizabeth Sasse in the Old Senate Chamber at the US Capitol January 6, 2015

Sasse said graduates are 'not missing out on that much, because nobody ... remembers anything about their high school graduation'. He added: 'You know what I mean, you remember sophomore year. You don't want these memories to be defining for you'

Ben Sasse said in his speech to Fremont High School graduates (choir pictured) that in 30 years they'll say: 'Remember that time that China started a big global pandemic that created the worst public health crisis in over a century'

He also told the class their high school experience was comparable to the life of a caged rodent.

'So here we are, in your living room, I'm on a laptop, you're on a couch, because 2020 is a heck of a year,' Sasse sarcastically commented. 'I know I'm not supposed to say this but you're not missing out on that much, because nobody — and honestly by nobody I mean nobody — remembers anything about their high school graduation. In fact, a lot of us spent a lot of our lives trying to forget as much about high school as we possibly can. You know what I mean, you remember sophomore year. You don't want these memories to be defining for you.

'In fact, there are a whole bunch of people who make a whole bunch of money by just trying to help other people forget high school. They're called psychologists. In fact, 95% of all gainfully employed psychologists — and I'm serious, there are dozens of them who are gainfully employed — their job is really just to help people forget high school.

'And the other 5%, they just research hamsters who got lost in mazes. Which, come to think of it, is a lot like high school, and that's why we want to forget it. The hamsters also need their own psychologists.'

Sasse didn't appear to give graduates any real advice after earlier mocking the work of teachers and parents, and then proceeding to tell the young adults that majoring in psychology was a laughable choice too.

He added that the struggles of this year would scar their memories and returned to his attack on China as he made his point.

'Here's what I'm trying to say: There will always be money to be made in psychology. No, that's a joke. Do not — if you're heading to college — do not major in psychology. That part's not a joke,' he advised.

'But like I was saying: Nobody remembers their high school graduation — except for you guys. You guys are going to be the first generation in human history to actually have your high school graduation seared into your memory.

Sasse said the students would have to deal with the 'consequences of all this' and told them they are 'entering adulthood during an incredibly disruptive time'. Pictured are some of the graduates

Sasse bizarrely continued: 'You're graduating in your living room and you're having a senator come talk to you about some dude named Joe Exotic? But that's probably the least weird thing that happened this last month because we haven't even started talking about murder hornets'

'Why am I giving you all this bad news? Well, between the pandemic and the murder hornets and the fact that the Tiger King lady definitely killed her husband... your being stuck at home for graduation is really not even a top 100 problem,' he said. Carole Baskin is pictured right

'You're going to be at your class reunion in 25 or 30 years, and people 30 years out of high school are really old — by the way, I graduated high school 30 years ago this month so thanks for rubbing it in — and you're going to say stuff at your high school reunion service ceremonies like, "Remember that time that China started a big global pandemic that created the worst public health crisis in over a century and brought the economy to its knees and we had to stay at home and everybody was hoarding toilet paper and we all watched this documentary about some weird dude that raised tigers?" Uhhh, yeah, it'll be pretty hard to forget that.'

Just as Sasse seemed to approach a more positive note, he went off on a bizarre threat about non-coronavirus talking points, but undoubtedly offended everyone with the name Jeremy.

'So you guys have this silver lining: You're going to remember your high school graduation. Nobody else has ever remembered their high school graduation, you're going to remember it. You're graduating in your living room and you're having a senator come talk to you about some dude named Joe Exotic?' Sasse picked up. 'But that's probably the least weird thing that happened this last month because we haven't even started talking about murder hornets yet.

'That's right, murder hornets. Now I know what you're thinking: It's not the murder hornet's fault, if an insect grows up being called a murder hornet, you can't be surprised when they actually start ripping heads off honeybees. I get it, that's a pretty good point, we all sort of do grow into our names, and by the way, that's why everybody named Jeremy is the worst. Sorry, Jeremy, not my fault, blame your mom and dad.'

As if viewers weren't already feeling bad about what's to come, the politician shared that scientists are going to classify a newly discovered black hole four times the size of the sun as a ' major major bummer'.

Sasse then added that if viewers didn't know what he was talking about they should be reading more since 'you've got more time on your hands'.

Bringing his speech back to earth he reminded young people that they are going to be navigating both an economic and health crisis.

'Why am I giving you all this bad news? Well, between the pandemic and the murder hornets and the fact that the Tiger King lady definitely killed her husband and the black hole — that shouldn't be between, it should be among, but among all those things, your being stuck at home for graduation is really not even a top 100 problem,' he said.

Sen. Morfeld pointed out students were looking forward to celebrating their achievements

One Twitter user responded 'wow' said it was an example of how not to deliver a speech

A member of the board said Sasse owed graduates an apology but the senator's spokesperson has stood by the comments in the speech

One local criticized Sasse's mocking of psychologists in his commencement speech

Sasse momentarily appeared to unite his audience but then made another swipe at China, where the coronavirus outbreak came from last November.

He broached the contention that the country lied about infection and death rates before COVID-19 spread around the world.

'It's hit our state hard, it's probably hit your family, it's hit our whole country, and nobody knows exactly how we're going to beat this thing. But, you know what, we're Americans, we're Nebraskans, we've got grit, and we're going to beat this thing,' he said.

But he added: 'We're going to a have to have a serious reckoning with the thugs in China who let this mess spiral out of control by lying about it.'

Sasse then effectively told students it was up to them to pull the country through the pandemic and crisis.

He added that their 'late night sessions and early morning practices' would have prepared them for it.

'Your generation is going to have a big calling. You're going to have to deal with the consequences of all this, and you're entering adulthood during an incredibly disruptive time.

'That's what your parents and teachers tried to instill in you and that's what makes our state great and that's what's going to pull us through this thing. You're going to pull us through this thing… You're going to do it, you're going to get it done, we're going to be proud of you again, and we are proud of you today. Your families and your communities are proud of you. I'm proud of you but you don't really know me. The important thing is your families and your communities are proud of you. Git 'er done.'

The Nebraska Counselling Association called the speech 'demeaning', 'tasteless' and blasted Sasse for mocking psychologists as they warned suicide rates are likely to rise if mental issues go untreated.

Signed off by members of the board, one executive left his name 'JEREMY' in capital letters, seemingly to reference Sasse's remark that people named Jeremy are 'the worst'.

In a comment to a social media user, they said Jeremy is 'the best'.

The Nebraska Counselling Association called the speech 'demeaning', 'tasteless' and blasted Sasse for mocking psychologists as they warned suicide rates are likely to rise if mental issues go untreated

The school separated itself from the comments made in the video. 

'The district does not edit or censor guest speakers. We have received feedback on parts of the ceremony and would like to share some information for clarity in regard to the speeches by our guests. The words spoken belong to the individual that said them, not the school district,' Superintendent Mark Shepard and school board President Sandi Proskovec, said in the statement.

'Including them as part of the ceremony does not endorse the individual, the content of the speech or the interpretations of what was provided. We encourage individuals with concerns to reach out to the individual directly. They are the only ones who can accurately interpret what was intended.'

However a school board member dubbed the speech 'racist'. 

In a statement to the Omaha World Herald, Sasse's spokesperson stood by the speech and his comments about China.

'Like he said in the video greeting, Ben's proud of each of the graduates — and he believes their generation is tough enough to help lead us through the bumpy economic times ahead,' James Wegmann said. 

'It's ridiculous that some politically addicted folks are complaining about Ben calling out China in a joke. He's said this for months, because it's true: The Chinese Communist Party's coronavirus coverup wasted time that could have contained the spread — those lies cost innocent lives in China and around the world. Pretending graduates are too fragile to hear the truth is silly.'