Jewish, Muslim groups condemn Trump’s use of ‘Palestinian’ as slur to put down Schumer
CAIR says using term in that way is ‘beneath dignity of his office’; Jewish groups say US president doesn’t get to decide who is a Jew and that his remark weaponizes antisemitism
WASHINGTON — US Muslim and Jewish advocacy groups criticized US President Donald Trump on Wednesday for referring to the top Senate Democrat, Senator Chuck Schumer, as a “Palestinian,” with the organizations saying the president used the term as a slur.
Trump, a Republican, was asked by reporters at the White House about US corporate tax rate policy during an Oval Office meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, and in response expressed displeasure with congressional Democrats not supporting his agenda. The Irish government is staunchly pro-Palestinian.
“Schumer is a Palestinian as far as I’m concerned. He’s become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore. He’s a Palestinian,” Trump said apparently suggesting the veteran New York lawmaker has become too critical of Israel.
Schumer is the highest-ranking elected US Jewish official and is not of Palestinian heritage.
“President Trump’s use of the term ‘Palestinian’ as a racial slur is offensive and beneath the dignity of his office,” said Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
Awad, who is of Palestinian heritage, said Trump’s comments showed the “continuing dehumanization” of Palestinians.
Jewish groups panned the remarks with some saying they amounted to antisemitism.
“Donald Trump doesn’t get to decide who is Jewish,” Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, posted to X. “‘Palestinian’ should not be used as an insult. These comments are abhorrent but revealing of why the vast majority of Jewish voters have not and will never support Donald Trump.”
“The goal for this administration isn’t to counter antisemitism or protect Israel. It’s to weaponize antisemitism to go after their political enemies, advance an extreme agenda, and undercut democracy — and it only makes Jews *less* safe,” Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, wrote on microblogging platform Bluesky.
“Trump’s attack on Schumer is antisemitic and racist,” said Jonathan Jacoby, who leads the Nexus Project, an antisemitism watchdog. “He’s policing Jewish identity, invoking the dual loyalty trope, and implying Palestinians are evil. This is dangerous incitement. Jewish groups must say it clearly: the President is spreading hate and weaponizing antisemitism.”
Progressive Zionist group New Jewish Narrative, meanwhile, called the remark “absurd and offensive.”
The group added, “Schumer is Jewish, regardless of his views on Israel-Palestine or anything else. And ‘Palestinian’ is not a slur. To use it as such is pure racism.”
The Anti-Defamation League also condemned the comments, saying in a statement, “A President has many powers, but none of them include deciding who is and isn’t Jewish. Doing so, and using ‘Palestinian’ as a slur, are both beneath any POTUS. Instead of weaponizing people’s identity, use the power of the bully pulpit to bring the American people together.”
Trump’s comments also drew some praise. David Friedman, Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, tweeted the remark and wrote, “Metaphorically speaking, I couldn’t have said it better.”
Generally, Trump has opted for such language to disparage Democrats whom he sees as inadequately supportive of Israel.
In this case, however, Trump made the comments while talking about corporate tax rates. After saying that the American public will blame Democrats for high taxes, Trump launched into an aside on the New York senator, his top adversary in Congress who on Wednesday was opposing a Republican-drafted funding bill.
Trump has previously denied allegations of being discriminatory and antisemitic. The White House and Schumer had no immediate comment.
Both Trump’s supporters and opponents shared clips of the remark online.
Wednesday’s remarks were the latest instance in which Trump has used “Palestinian” as an epithet to refer to Schumer, whom he once also falsely called “a proud member of Hamas.”
Schumer, the Senate minority leader, has spoken frequently about his Jewish identity throughout his political career. He is soon to release a book about fighting antisemitism.
Trump faced criticism from rights groups during last year’s election campaign in which he referred to former US president Joe Biden as Palestinian during a presidential debate. Trump also said last year that Jews who did not vote for him needed to “have your head examined.”
Rights advocates have noted a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
More recently, Trump has faced criticism over his plan for a US takeover of Gaza and a displacement of Palestinians from the enclave. His plan has been called a proposal of ethnic cleansing by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the UN. Trump has apparently softened his stance on the plan.
The Trump administration is also seeking to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist who has played a prominent role in anti-Israel protests at New York’s Columbia University.
