Former President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of Jewish Democrats, labeling them as “fools” and singling out high-profile Jewish members of the Democratic Party, such as Vice President Kamala Harris and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Trump Labels Jewish Democrats as “Fools”
In a live interview with conservative radio host Sid Rosenberg, Trump asserted, “Any Jewish person that voted for [Vice President Kamala Harris] or [President Joe Biden]… should have their head examined. If you love Israel — or if you’re Jewish, because a lot of Jewish people do not like Israel… If you’re Jewish, if you vote for a Democrat, you’re a fool, an absolute fool.”
This statement is part of Trump’s ongoing effort to exploit growing skepticism of U.S. aid to Israel among some Democratic lawmakers and the public. Despite the devastating toll of the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians according to the Gaza Health Ministry, Trump uses this issue to try and win over Jewish voters, who traditionally lean Democratic.
Accusations Against Kamala Harris
Trump’s rhetoric has become more aggressive since Kamala Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee. He claimed, “She’s totally against the Jewish people,” during a rally in North Carolina last week. In his interview with Rosenberg, he repeated, “She dislikes Jewish people and Israel more than Biden did.”
These attacks are particularly controversial given that Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, would be the first Jewish spouse of a president if Harris wins in November. Rosenberg criticized Emhoff during the interview, calling him “a crappy Jew, a horrible Jew,” to which Trump responded, “Yeah, yeah.”
Harris campaign spokesperson James Singer responded, “America is better than the fear, hate, and despicable insults of Donald Trump.”
Criticism of Chuck Schumer
Trump also targeted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, accusing him of changing his stance on Israel. He stated, “Fifteen years ago, you couldn’t say a bad thing [about Israel], you’d be out of office. And today it’s almost like — I mean, Schumer has become a Palestinian. Chuck Schumer is officially now a Palestinian.”
Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the U.S., did not immediately respond to Trump’s remarks. Schumer has publicly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, emphasizing that while he believes in the strong relationship between Israel and America, he has “serious disagreements” with Netanyahu’s conduct of the war.
Harris and Netanyahu’s U.S. Visit
During Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S., Harris did not attend his address to Congress but met privately with him afterward. She expressed her “serious concern about the scale of human suffering in Gaza, including the death of far too many innocent civilians,” and added, “We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent.”
In contrast, Trump met with Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago and criticized Harris’s comments, stating, “I actually don’t know how a person who’s Jewish can vote for her, but that’s up to them.”
Trump’s intensified attacks on Jewish Democrats highlight his ongoing efforts to appeal to Jewish voters by exploiting divisions within the Democratic Party over U.S. policy towards Israel.
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