Trump: ‘Never been a more dangerous time since the Holocaust’ to be Jewish in US
Former US president doubles down on fight against antisemitism, courting Jewish voters; reiterates claim VP Harris rejected Josh Shapiro as running mate because he’s Jewish
Former US president Donald Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday that there has “never been a more dangerous time since the Holocaust” to be Jewish in the US, just days after holding a dedicated event on fighting antisemitism.
Speaking in Wilkes-Barre, the Republican presidential candidate also reiterated the claim that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro wasn’t picked to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in the upcoming elections because he is Jewish.
“They turned him down because he’s Jewish,” Trump said, echoing an accusation first made by his running mate JD Vance. The claim has been rejected both by the Democratic party and by Shapiro himself, who said that “antisemitism had no impact” on the decision-making process.
“They turned him down for other reasons, but the primary reason is because he’s Jewish,” Trump continued, telling the crowd that “any Jewish person that votes for her [Harris] or a Democrat has to go out and have their head examined.”
“If you see what’s happening with Israel and Jewish people, there has never been a more dangerous time since the Holocaust if you happen to be Jewish in America,” Trump said.
Trump has been extremely outspoken about rising antisemitism and anti-Israeli sentiment throughout his presidential campaign.
Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania today:
“Since the Holocaust, it has not been as dangerous to be Jewish in America as it is now." pic.twitter.com/198m9dOkaC
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) August 18, 2024
On Thursday, the former president held an event on the fight against antisemitism at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. In a speech at the event, he made similar statements about Jews facing a climate akin to the run-up to the Holocaust and reiterated his frequent claim that Hamas’s October 7 onslaught on Israel would have never happened if he were president.
He also criticized US President Joe Biden and Harris for their months-long calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, not long after saying he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to quickly defeat Hamas because “the killing has to stop.”
“From the start, Harris has worked to tie Israel’s hand behind its back, demanding an immediate ceasefire, always demanding ceasefire,” Trump said, adding it “would only give Hamas time to regroup and launch a new October 7 style attack.”
This came as Trump, by his own admission, was trying to “define” Harris, the vice president and his Democratic opponent, as she is beginning to lead him in the polls nationally and in swing states.
Trump went on to boast about his pro-Israel actions during his presidency — such as withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital — and pledged to give Israel the resources it needs to win the war in Gaza.
The former president also promised to put university presidents “on notice” over campus antisemitism, which has risen sharply since October 7, and to withdraw federal funding and accreditation from campuses where it is allowed to fester.
Also Thursday, the Trump campaign launched a formal Jewish outreach, “Jewish Voices for Trump,” listing his pro-Israel accomplishments and endorsements from Jewish Republicans, some of whom have worked for him.
“He will ensure that Israel and the Jewish people have a secure homeland, and finally finish our war on terror,” the dedicated website said. “By re-affirming our support for President Trump, Jewish voices across the country are working to deliver President Trump a second term and put a stop to radical antisemitism.”
Yet since the start of his political career, Donald Trump has played on stereotypes about Jews and politics.
He told the Republican Jewish Coalition in 2015 that “you want to control your politicians” and suggested the audience used money to exert control. In the White House, he said Jews who vote for Democrats are “very disloyal to Israel.”
In March, Trump charged that Jewish Democrats were being disloyal to their faith and to Israel. Trump opponents accused him of promoting antisemitic tropes, while his defenders suggested he was making a fair political point in his own way.
Trump’s core supporters include white evangelicals, many of whom believe the modern State of Israel fulfills biblical prophecy. Prominent evangelicals who support Zionism have also been criticized for inflammatory statements about Jewish people.
A 2023 survey of 800 Jewish voters, taken by the Jewish Electoral Institute, showed Biden leading Trump 72% to 22% among respondents. Jewish voters favored Joe Biden over Donald Trump by 50 percentage points in a 2024 US presidential election matchup — a stark contrast from polls of the national electorate that predicted a close race between the two leading candidates.
JTA contributed to this report.
