Interesting. I've casually listened to him for years and I didn't think he misrepresented his acadmic background; I thought he was always clear he was a Drexel guy, which is a great school onto itself. So I came in ready to question the validity of this. However, I sometimes I discount the effect sycophantic behavior can be propaganda for industrial demagogues. And he does platform some insidious people. The problem isn't the platforming per sé, it's the coddling within intellectual curiosity that allows the ideas to metastasize.
I'm for open debate and i think it's important to have, but the days of Donahue have long been over.