Donald Trump accused of peddling ‘antisemitic stereotypes’
Chuck Schumer - the American Jewish community's highest ranking elected official - openly condemns the the Republican presidential nominee after he questions his identity
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Donald Trump has been accused of openly peddling “antisemitic stereotypes” after he launched an embittered attack on the American Jewish community’s highest ever ranking elected official.
Speaking on the Hugh Hewitt show, Trump took a swipe at Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, labelling the senior Jewish Democrat Party figure a “Palestinian” and “Hamas member”.
Schumer has been critical of Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu in the past over the war in Gaza and called for elections to replace him.
But Trump’s “Palestinian” slur appeared to be a direct attack on a Jewish American for daring to raise concerns about Gaza.
“Israel’s being hurt very badly by the Democrats,” Trump told the Hugh Hewitt show, adding “they’re making it very hard for Israel to win.”
Referencing Schumer and Democrat pressure placed on Israel he then added:”The pressure that’s being put on them by Biden and Schumer, who’s frankly, you know, Schumer is, like is he a member of Hamas? Is he a Palestinian? I don’t know, how would a Jewish person contribute to Democrats right now? have to finish the job. Israel has to finish the job, get it done, and get it done fast,” Trump said.
Schumer directly accused Trump of empowering antisemitism from the Democratic National Convention stage in Chicago.
He said: “I want my grandkids – and all grandkids – to never face discrimination because of who they are. But Donald Trump – this is a guy who peddles antisemitic stereotypes.”
Schumeer added Trump “even invited a white supremacist to Mar-a-Lago” to an event.
Earlier this week, the Republican presidential nominee also made further controversial remarks about the alleged power of the “Jewish lobby” as he attempted to woo supporters from the community.
“Not that long ago, I’d say 10, 12, 15 years ago, there was no more powerful, call it a lobby, but there was no more powerful lobby than the Israeli lobby, than the Jewish lobby. Today, it’s almost the opposite,” Trump said.
He also repeated his allegation that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris passed on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as her running made out of capitulation to the antisemitic fringes of her party.
“They didn’t put him on because he’s Jewish. I think he’s highly overrated, too, by the way, but they didn’t put him on because he’s Jewish,” he said.
“And I just can’t believe, when you look at the polls, where I’m probably up to 50%, 40%, 45%, and what I’ve done for Israel, and what I’ve done, I have been the best president by far for the Jewish people. There’s never been anybody like me.”
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