WASHINGTON — Speaking at an antisemitism event on Thursday, Donald Trump doubled down on attacks on American Jews who do not vote for him.
He suggested that Jews would be to blame if he loses in November. He also said American Jews who vote for Democrats harm American interests, in an escalation of his standard rhetoric.
Trump made the comments at an event Thursday evening called “Fighting Antisemitism,” sponsored by the Israeli-American casino magnate Miriam Adelson, one of the biggest donors to his campaign. The room at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., was packed with dozens of supporters of the former president, including donors and Orthodox Jews who repeatedly cheered him.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt released a scalding statement Friday morning saying preemptively blaming American Jews for his potential election loss “does zero to help the Jews.”
“Here we go again. I appreciate that former President Trump called out antisemitism and recognized its historic surge. He's right on that, Greenblatt said. “But the effect is undermined by then employing numerous antisemitic tropes and anti-Jewish stereotypes — including rampant accusations of dual loyalty.”
Doing so increases American Jews's “sense of alienation in a moment of vulnerability when right-wing extremists and left-wing antizionists continually demonize and slander Jews.”
According to Greenblatt, Trump’s speech likely will spark more hostility and further inflame “an already bad situation.”
“Calling out hate is important, but I can’t overstate how the message is diluted and damaged when you employ hate to make your point,” he said.
The American Jewish Committee, which is non-partisan, also condemned Trump’s remarks.
Former President Trump said yesterday that if he were to lose the Presidential election “the Jewish people would have a lot to do with that if that happens because at 40% that means 60% are voting for the enemy.”
Three points:
“Whoever a majority of the Jewish community votes for, Jews – roughly 2 percent of the U.S. population – cannot and should not be blamed for the outcome of the election,” AJC said in a statement.
Setting up anyone to say “We lost because of the Jews” is outrageous and dangerous, the statement said, as thousands of years of history have shown that scapegoating Jews can lead to antisemitic hate and violence.
“Like all Americans, some Jews will vote for President Trump and some will vote for Vice President Harris. None of us, by supporting the candidate we choose, is ‘voting for the enemy,’” AJC continued, adding that divisive rhetoric like this has no place in politics.
“Especially at a time of rising threats of political violence and two assassination attempts on the former president,” AJC said.
AJC said both candidates should work to earn the support of our community based on policy. “But let’s not make this election and its outcome about the Jews.”