Trump backers hurl anti-Semitic tweets at NY Times editor
Jonathan Weisman calls out racism among Republican candidate’s supporters and receives some in return
JTA — New York Times editor Jonathan Weisman is clearly aware of Donald Trump supporters’ history of aggressive racism and anti–Semitism. So maybe he shouldn’t be surprised by the reaction to his tweet calling them out for it.
But it’s hard not to be a little shocked.
On Thursday, Weisman referred to Sheldon Adelson’s recent appeal for Republican Jewish leaders to support the presumptive GOP nominee for president, Melania Trump’s justification of the anti-Semitism unleashed on reporter Julia Ioffe for her GQ profile of the would-be first lady last week and Donald Trump’s wavering renunciation of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke back in February — all in less than 140 characters.
Melania Trump says @juliaioffe provoked vile antisemitism. Klan all in & Adelson urges Jews to back @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/7wFJwVFOSt
— Jonathan Weisman (@jonathanweisman) May 19, 2016
Weisman’s tweet caught the eye of an anti-Semitic Twitter user named Cyber Trump, who proceeded to bait the Washington, D.C.-based him into a response.
https://twitter.com/Rusted_Ovum/status/733274970021748736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/Rusted_Ovum/status/733276028617924616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Flabbergasted that antisemitism in the Trump voter ranks isn't getting more attention, at least from the @RJC. https://t.co/qt5uI5bUIb
— Jonathan Weisman (@jonathanweisman) May 19, 2016
After the exchange made waves in the Twitterverse, the anti-Semitic deluge only got far, far worse. Weisman retweeted the responses.
https://twitter.com/DreadCrash/status/733335709042380800
https://twitter.com/SpectreReturns/status/733339147939643393
https://twitter.com/HelloRaspberry/status/733356662329868288
https://twitter.com/AgentTimothy/status/733359737425829889
what's wrong with robust debate? pic.twitter.com/T6euB41tAj
— Henry Smith (@FoundersRace) May 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/pantsukampf/status/733353353669935104
https://twitter.com/vicmandrake/status/733353072852914176
Some took notice and attempted to throw Weisman a life preserver.
https://twitter.com/AndrewEdwardsLB/status/733352277432512513
https://twitter.com/knck1es/status/733372090393329664
But Weisman ultimately had to check out, lest he go off the deep end.
For those who sent kind thoughts, thank you. Antisemites, thank you for showing yourselves. No more retweets. My work is done for the day.
— Jonathan Weisman (@jonathanweisman) May 19, 2016
