Topline
The White House on Monday criticized former President Donald Trump and accused him of spreading antisemitic stereotypes after the GOP presidential candidate accused Jewish Democratic voters of hating their religion and Israel.
Key Facts
In a statement to the press, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said President Joe Biden “has put his foot down when it comes to vile and unhinged antisemitic rhetoric.”
The statement added that there was “no justification for spreading toxic, false stereotypes that threaten fellow citizens.”
Earlier Monday, Trump appeared on a radio show hosted by his former White House aide Sebastian Gorka and said “Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion…They hate everything about Israel.”
Trump singled out the country’s highest-ranking Jewish official and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer—who recently criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza—saying he’s “very anti-Israel now.”
Trump pointed to the size of the recent pro-Palestinian marches and said “guys like Schumer see that, and to him, it’s votes…more than anything else.”
Chief Critic
Responding to Trump’s comments, Schumer said: “Trump is making highly partisan and hateful rants. I am working in a bipartisan way to ensure the US-Israeli relationship sustains for generations to come, buoyed by peace in the Middle East.”
Big Number
71%. That is the percentage of Jewish Americans who identify with or lean towards the Democratic Party, according to a Pew Research study from 2020.
Key Background
During his presidency, Trump came under criticism for similar comments when he told reporters at the White House: “I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.” Despite being called out for pushing an antisemitic trope, Trump reiterated the comments a few days later saying Democratic voters were disloyal to Jewish people and Israel and added “only weak people would say anything other than that.”
