Len Khodorkovsky, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Trump administration, insisted Monday morning that former President Donald Trump isn’t an anti-Semite in a contentious back-and-forth with CNN’s Don Lemon.
‘I can tell an anti-Semite when I hear one. And I tell you with confidence that President Trump is not an anti-Semite,’ Khodorkovsky said.
Khodorkovsky, who is Jewish, appeared on CNN to react to Trump’s dinner at Mar-a-Lago with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who’s a Holocaust denier, and rapper Kanye West, who’s made a number of anti-Semitic comments in recent months.
Len Khodorkovsky (right), a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Trump administration, insisted Monday morning that former President Donald Trump isn’t an anti-Semite in a contentious back-and-forth with CNN’s Don Lemon (left)
On Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump had dinner with Nick Fuentes, a known white nationalist and anti-Semite. Fuentes came to Mar-a-Lago alongside rapper Kanye West
Former President Donald Trump (left) hugs rapper Kanye West (right) during their October 2018 meeting at the White House
Khodorkovsky tried to give Trump some cover, by pointing out that the ex-president was apparently unaware of Fuentes’ reputation.
‘From what I understand, President Trump said he didn’t know Nick Fuentes was coming. And Nick Fuentes himself, from what I understand, said President Trump had no idea who he was at the dinner,’ Khodorkovsky said.
‘He is an anti-semite, he’s repulsive, his views are disgusting, and no one of any substance should give him any forum,’ Khodorkovsky continued. ‘It’s frankly beneath President Trump to meet with him, of course.’
Khodorkovsky then pointed to several Congressional Democrats, including Rep. Ilham Omar, who he claimed were anti-Semites.
Omar, who is Muslim, previously tweeted Jewish stereotypes when making comments about Israel.
‘If we’re going to make Trump repudiate Kanye or his sidekick I think we have to look at anti-Semitism in the halls of Congress,’ Khodorkovsky said.
Lemon was not having the comparison.
‘They’re not the president of the United States. He’s the former president of the United States,’ Lemon complained. ‘This is not whataboutism. He met with an anti-Semite. So can we stick to the former president and not do whataboutism? We can talk about those other people when there are issues, but there aren’t issues right now.’
On several occasions Lemon brought up how Trump had stored classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, asking Khodorkovsky if he believed that the ex-president should know who he’s meeting with.
‘I will give you that. Yes, of course, he should know who he’s meeting with,’ the former State Department official said.
Lemon continued to chide the official.
‘You say he should know who he’s meeting with, but then you’re saying well he didn’t know. It sounds like you’re making excuses for him. There’s no excuses for bad behavior, no excuse for anti-Semitism and no excuse for being the former president and not knowing who you’re allowing into a place where you have kept classified documents,’ Lemon said.
Khodorkovsky snapped back, saying: ‘I’d appreciate it if you don’t put words in my mouth.’
‘As a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, I’m concerned with the mainstreaming of anti-Semitism wherever it comes from,’ Khodorkovsky said. ‘And I condemn Kanye’s anti-Semitism, and I condemn his sidekick’s anti-Semitism.’
Lemon pressed Khodorkovsky several times on whether he condemned Trump for ‘entertaining’ anti-Semites. ‘It’s a yes or no,’ Lemon said.
‘I didn’t realize I was on a witness stand here, Don,’ Khodorkovsky responded.
The two men continued to quarrel.
‘Don, it’s very rich when you’re telling somebody who is Jewish, who has experienced anti-Semitism firsthand, who is a grandson of Holocaust survivors, what is an appropriate way to address anti-Semitism, frankly, it’s a little bit insulting,’ Khodorkovsky said.
Lemon retorted that he knew all about racism and bigotry.
‘And if someone was a bigot or a racist, and you asked me about them, I would always say that it is wrong to traffic and meet with bigots and racists,’ Lemon said.
‘A Holocaust denier met with the former president, who you worked with, that should be more insulting to you than me talking about how you should respond to it – how you should respond directly to it,’ Lemon added.
Khodorkovsky concluded the interview by saying they should take a step back and focus on the real issue at hand – the rise in anti-Semitism in the U.S. and globally.
‘And we should not give a platform to any Holocaust deniers or anti-Semites, wherever they are. I don’t think the president should have met with Kanye or his sidekick,’ Khodorkovsky said. ‘And I wish no one else will either.’
‘You could have said that at the beginning,’ Lemon said, ending the interview.
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