(WASHINGTON) — Former president Donald Trump is facing criticism for recent comments made about the Jewish community in which he claimed a Jewish American who votes for a Democrat is “an absolute fool.”
The American Jewish Committee (AJC), a global Jewish advocacy group, condemned Trump’s comments.
“At a time when antisemitism is at record levels, the statement by the former president is divisive and potentially dangerous,” the AJC told ABC News in a statement.
“Jews as a group should not be targeted for their beliefs or how they choose to vote. Even more problematic is when individuals are singled out or targeted,” the latter referring to recent comments made specifically about Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish.
In a July 30 interview with New York radio host Sid Rosenberg on the radio station 77WABC, owned by Red Apple Media, Trump said that “any Jewish person that voted for her or him or whoever it’s going to be … should have their head examined,” referring to likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Trump continued: “If you love Israel, or if you’re Jewish, because a lot of Jewish people do not like Israel, and they happen to be in New York, you know that. But if you are Jewish, regardless of Israel, if you’re Jewish, if you vote for a Democrat, you’re a fool, an absolute fool.”
Rosenberg then made derogatory comments about second gentleman Doug Emhoff, calling him “a crappy Jew” as Trump appeared to agree.
“Doug Emhoff, Mr. President, is Jewish,” Rosenberg said during the interview. “He’s Jewish like Bernie Sanders is Jewish. Are you kidding me?”
“Yeah,” Trump responded.
“He’s a crappy Jew,” Rosenberg continued.
“Yeah,” Trump again said.
“He’s a horrible Jew,” said Rosenberg.
In a March interview, Trump claimed that “Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion.”
Emhoff responded at the time on X, writing: “Donald Trump uses stereotypes to demean Jewish Americans. He called Neo-Nazis at Charlottesville ‘very fine people.’ And his former Chief of Staff said he even praised Adolf Hitler. This hateful and antisemitic rhetoric is toxic. Donald Trump is the one who should be ashamed.”
Trump’s most recent comments follow his claim at a July 26 speaking event that Harris doesn’t like Jewish people, despite her being married to a Jewish man.
“She doesn’t like Jewish people. She doesn’t like Israel. That’s the way it is, and that’s the way it’s always going to be. She’s not going to change,” he said at a conservative Christian event in Florida.
The former president’s comments come amid rising incidents of antisemitism across the U.S., with federal and local law enforcement agencies warning about the heightened tensions stoked by the Israel-Hamas war overseas.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign responded on July 26 to Trump’s comments claiming she doesn’t like Jewish people, calling his vision for the country “bitter, bizarre, and backward looking” and arguing he “insulted the faith” of Jewish voters.
The vice president’s office did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for further comment.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S., slammed Trump for repeating what Schumer called an “old antisemitic trope” about the loyalties of Jewish voters.
“It’s been used for a very long time to drive Jews out of their homes, to paint them as untrustworthy to deny the basic dignity,” Schumer said in a July 31 speech.
Schumer continued: “Donald Trump then repeated the sick idea that if you’re a Jew, and if you happen to support Democrats, you should ‘have your head examined’ and that you’re a bunch of ‘fools.’ Sadly, we’ve been here before, but it must be said again: Donald Trump’s comments were reprehensible, dangerous, and prove that he is disturbingly at ease with antisemitic rhetoric.”
ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Isabella Murray, Will McDuffie, and Gabriela Abdul-Hakim contributed to this report.
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