Former President Donald Trump said during an October 29 radio interview that Israel used to “rightfully” control Congress.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reported that Trump was speaking with conservative radio host Ari Hoffman, who is Jewish, and said: “The biggest change I’ve seen in Congress is Israel literally owned Congress — you understand that. Ten years ago, 15 years ago, and it was so powerful, it was so powerful and today it’s almost the opposite.” Trump argued that Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who he accused of being Israel haters, now control Congress.
“Israel had such power, and rightfully over Congress, and now it doesn’t,” he added.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and American Jewish Committee (AJC) both criticized Trump for his remarks to Hoffman.
“The accusation that Israel *ever* controlled Congress is despicable and reeks of antisemitism,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted. “No friend of our community or the country speaks this way. This wasn’t a lapse of judgment or a misstatement. It’s a disturbing window into a bigoted worldview.”
The accusation that Israel *ever* controlled Congress is despicable and reeks of antisemitism. No friend of our community or the country speaks this way. This wasn’t a lapse of judgment or a misstatement. It’s a disturbing window into a bigoted worldview. https://t.co/uSofmv3J4J
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) November 2, 2021
The AJC similarly tweeted: “Mr. Trump should know better than to fuel pernicious stereotypes about Jews. Israel never ‘owned Congress.’ Both parties—under successive U.S. administrations, including Trump’s—have long supported Israel because it’s an ally that shares our values.”
Mr. Trump should know better than to fuel pernicious stereotypes about Jews.
Israel never "owned Congress.”
Both parties—under successive U.S. administrations, including Trump’s—have long supported Israel because it's an ally that shares our values.https://t.co/QewXiA2xke
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) November 2, 2021
JTA reporter Ron Kampeas tweeted, “If you thought this was bad when Ilhan Omar said it, the reaction now can’t be ‘well Trump thinks it’s a good thing,’ because if that’s ok, the reaction when Omar said should have been ‘so what’ – and it wasn’t.” In 2019, Omar had tweeted “it’s all about Benjamins” in response to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) call for action against Omar and Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) over their Israel statements.
If you thought this was bad when Ilhan Omar said it, the reaction now can't be"well Trump thinks it's a good thing," because if that's ok, the reaction when Omar said should have been "so what" – and it wasn't https://t.co/ukRwMY2UHA
— Ron Kampeas (@kampeas) November 1, 2021
A Twitter user named “Heimish Conservative” tweeted a differing view. “The audio is pretty clear that he meant [C]ongress understood a decade ago pretty much unanimously how important the US strategic partnership with Israel is. Trump says pretty clearly this is the way it should have continued to be.”
The user added in a subsequent tweet: “The choice of words is a bit odd, but only without context. And Trump has never been much of a nuanced carefully-chosen-words kind of guy.”
The audio is pretty clear that he meant congress understood a decade ago pretty much unanimously how important the US strategic partnership with Israel is.
Trump says pretty clearly this is the way it should have continued to be. https://t.co/PTCmYPgawn
— Heimish Conservative (@HeimishCon) November 2, 2021
The choice of words is a bit odd, but only without context.
And Trump has never been much of a nuanced carefully-chosen-words kind of guy.
— Heimish Conservative (@HeimishCon) November 2, 2021
Ron Demeter, a former journalist, tweeted, “Trump loves Israel, is prone to hyperbole (understatement), and is uncareful with his words so this will probably blow over. Having said that, saying Israel ‘literally owns’ Congress is an antisemitic canard.”
Trump loves Israel, is prone to hyperbole (understatement), and is uncareful with his words so this will probably blow over. Having said that, saying Israel “literally owns” Congress is an antisemitic canard. https://t.co/gXdURncuat
— (((Ron Demeter))) (@RonMozaic) November 1, 2021
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