Democrats and media figures have reacted with outrage to remarks Donald Trump made about Jews. MSNBC Donny Deutsch railed against the former President and said it was the most offensive thing he has ever said. Speaking on America First with Seb Gorka, Mr. Trump claimed that any Jewish person who votes Democrat “hates their religion” and should be “ashamed of themselves” because Democrats would happily destroy the state of Israel. Trump pointed to recent remarks by Senate leader Chuck Schumer, who described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace and called for fresh elections in the embattled Jewish state.
Trump accused the Senator, who is the most senior elected Jewish Member of Congress, of putting votes ahead of concern for Israel and wondered why Mr. Schumer has moved from a pro to an anti-Israel position.
Mr. Schumer responded with fury, calling Trump’s comments “unadulterated antisemitism.” Schumer said Trump was promoting antisemitic tropes about dual loyalty and using Israel as a “political wedge” to cause further damage to the “bond” between the US and the Jewish state.
Several Republicans also spoke out, including Senate Republican Whip John Thune, who avoided criticizing the former President but stated that Trump is a man who likes to speak his mind. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina appeared to agree with Trump to an extent, and accused the Democrats of “failing the Israeli state.”
The White House said the Republican Presidential candidate was guilty of “unhinged antisemitic rhetoric.” Spokesman Andrew Bates said leaders have a responsibility to bring people together in opposition to growing global antisemitism, particularly in the wake of the deadliest aggression against Jews since the Holocaust – the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians last October.
Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin added his voice and said Trump had committed an “outrageous slander against the vast majority of American Jews.” He added that it was lucky that most Jews do not look to Donald Trump for advice or inspiration.
