Trump comments on Jews who vote for Democrats draw outrage

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News/AP

March 19, 2024 / 4:49 AM EDT


New York — Former President Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats "hate Israel" and hate "their religion," igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.

Trump, in an interview, had been asked about Democrats' growing criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the war in Gaza as the civilian death toll continues to mount. "I actually think they hate Israel," Trump responded to his former aide, Sebastian Gorka. "I think they hate Israel. And the Democrat party hates Israel."

Trump, who last week became the Republican Party's presumptive nominee, went on to charge that, "Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed." The comments sparked immediate backlash from the White House, President Biden's campaign and Jewish leaders.

The vast majority of Jewish Americans identify as Democrats, but Trump has often accused them of disloyalty, perpetuating what critics say is an antisemitic trope. At the White House, spokesperson Andrew Bates cast the comments as "vile and unhinged Antisemitic rhetoric" without mentioning Trump by name.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-comments-jews-democrats-outrage/

[underpants]

1. Like I've said, keep the cameras running and the mic on

He’ll take care of the rest

[Miguelito Loveless]

2. Mic and camera have been running since 2015

and yet, he is still here and still a threat.

[underpants]

3. True.

2016 was a fluke. He hasn’t won anything since or at least the GOP has vastly underachieved.

[IronLionZion]

4. Deplorable

His own party and administration are full of Nazis. Qanon is old antisemitic conspiracies modernized.

[bmichaelh]

5. Trump has not condemned Neo-Nazis or Hitler

Let's not forget Trump did not condemn Neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville VA.

Or Trump is an admirer of Hitler.
It has been reported that he admired Hitler by former aides.

[peppertree]

7. I've never met a Republican who, if the subject of Hitler comes up, is unequivocal in condemning him

It's always: "he did some good things...what about the economy...what about the Autobahn" - and some will even add things like "Jews like to exaggerate about him."

Trump, as you mentioned, was by all accounts always in that camp.

But what's more - he knows most Republican voters are too. And they only seem to be getting worse about that.

[ificandream]

6. Trump's outrage of the day.

Without it, the press wouldn't have anything to write about. And that would drive him fucking nuts. He's an attention whore.

[PatSeg]

10. Yes, he doesn't know when to quit

He can't go a single day without some outrageous headline and he doesn't care how ridiculous it is. He just has to have that attention. Then he will divert attention to another incendiary comment and headline so that most people forget the first one.

If you put all these comments together, he sounds totally insane. It is clumsy and awkward, but unfortunately it has worked for him.

[KS Toronado]

8. Who gives a shit what he thinks?

Hell, he thinks he's the best President ever. Orange man walking.....

[The Grand Illuminist]

9. Not antisemitic per se

More of the Israeli left are leaving their home country for good because of the dictatorship of Netanyahu, who seems to somehow make a comeback in the political world.

[Mz Pip]

11. Please proceed

Every time he says something insensitive, outrageous or hateful he loses a few more votes. His base doesn’t care but for people who are just starting to pay attention it will matter.

A percentage point here, a percentage point there. In a close election it will matter.

[niyad]

12. If I recall, that was not the first time he has said something like that.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. Biden-Harris campaign statement on Trump today saying Jewish Americans who vote for Democrats "hate their religion"

Link to tweet

[cstanleytech]

14. I disagree with some policies enacted and actions taken by Israel but hate? Nope.

[FakeNoose]

15. All this does is spotlight the complete tone-deafness of Chump

What a stupid and senseless thing to comment on. Maybe I'm not qualified to discuss how Jewish people vote, because I was raised a Catholic. That puts me in the same boat as Chump, who was raised a Unitarian-type of Protestant. Neither of us should be commenting on how and why Jewish people vote.

Here's what I do know: there are a lot of US Catholics and former Catholics who completely disagree with the Church's stance on abortion and birth control. Also many US Catholics and former Catholics think the Pope has no business making political comments of any kind. My guess is that Jewish Americans are able to differentiate their political leanings from whatever advice their religious leaders are handing out. Jews in America are probably much like Catholics in America, in that they are guided by educational, economic and cultural values as much or more than "religious" connections.

All the more reason why Chump needs to keep his trap shut. Stop insulting people with stupid generalizations.

[Mossfern]

20. Yep

Our Rabbis don't tell us how to vote - they are our employees-
except for the Ultra Orthodox - but they're a minority of the Jewish people in the US.
I don't know any Jewish people who vote Republican, but that's not because of our religion,
it's because of our cohort of friends with similar interests who identify with Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements.

P.S. Can someone please add the spelling of "Reconstructionist" to the accepted list? I always get that dotted red line underneath it. We do exist and we are real.

[louis-t]

16. If Palestinians other Arabic people think Biden is doing it wrong

wait until the orange piece of garbage weasels his way back to the White House.

[Grokenstein]

17. Two Nazis having a chat.

"I actually think they hate Israel," Trump responded to his former aide, Sebastian Gorka.

The Mein Kampf Reader said this to frikkin' Sebastian Gorka.

Keep runnin' that mouth, Stinky.

[maxsolomon]

18. He's been making this argument for years now, and it's Netanyahu's argument, too.

"Dems hate Israel" - because they want Israel to find a path to peace and not exacerbate the situation by occupying and absorbing the West Bank. They want Likud to stop giving Settlers free reign and provoking Palestinians with Al Aqsa visits.

I'll never forget that a barely-critical comment by HRC at the 2016 AIPAC meeting was greeted with cries of horror (and exploited by Trump). Basically, West Bank settlement expansion was counter-productive. My elderly Jewish neighbors voted for Trump as a result. "What choice do we have?", they asked me, "Hillary is bad for Israel."

[SouthernDem4ever]

19. Why doesn't everyone just ignore that big dumbass

Life would be so much better.

[Boomerproud]

21. He's the energizer bunny of politics.

He must give 20 radio interviews a day, 13 TV interviews and then has 5 rallies all in different states. I'm impressed.

[LeftishBrit]

22. What a vile scumbag

How dare he tell Jews how to vote?

And few Jews would give the time of day to someone who associates with the HungarIan neo-fascist Gorka.

[NanaCat]

23. This idiot is too stupid to think about anything other than

'Me me me hungry hungry hungry mine mine mine.'

So how would he ever have even a remote clue what anyone else would think?