Emhoff calls Trump ‘anti-semitic’ after comments on Jewish Democrats

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff angrily condemned former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, calling him ‘anti-Semitic’ for claiming that Jews who vote for Democrats ‘hate Israel .’ Trump criticized the Biden administration and Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer during an interview with former White House advisor and now-radio host Sebastian Gorka.

‘I really believe they hate Israel,’ the former president said about the Democrats. Emhoff addressed Trump’s comments during a campaign visit to Omaha, Nebraska, on Tuesday. ‘This is a disgusting, toxic, antisemitic thing to say by anyone, let alone a former president of the United States,’ said Emhoff about Trump’s remarks about the conflict between Gaza and Israel.

President Joe Biden has grown increasingly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last week called for new elections in Israel. Trump said Democrat political figures were softening their support of Israel to placate angry Democrat voters who were critical of the war in Gaza.

‘Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion,’ Trump said during the interview. ‘They hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed.’ Trump’s comments also earned condemnation from the Anti-Defamation League.

‘Accusing Jews of hating their religion because they might vote for a particular party is defamatory and patently false,’ wrote Jonathan Greenblatt, the chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League on X in response to Trump. Greenblatt was a White House advisor to both Clinton and Obama during their administrations.

Emhoff criticized Trump even after his daughter Ella was caught promoting fundraising for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, a group with alleged ties to Hamas terrorists. The United States suspended funding to UNRWA after 12 of its members were accused of participating in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel.

Ella Emhoff posted a link to the UNRWA to her social media profile before removing it after the New York Post questioned the White House about it. Emhoff is the first Jewish spouse of a president or a vice president in an American administration. As the second gentleman, he has made a push against anti-Semitism one of his priorities.

He joined Republicans criticizing the presidents of top universities after they testified to Congress in December, failing to denounce calls for genocide of the Jews on campus, citing the need for context. ‘Let’s be clear: When Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or identity, and when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is antisemitism, and it must be condemned,’ Emhoff said. ‘Condemned unequivocally and without context.’

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.