Former President Donald Trump accused Vice President Kamala Harris of disliking Jewish people despite being married to second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish.
Trump, 78, appeared to criticize Harris’ body language during a recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while speaking on WABC radio on Tuesday, July 30, according to Associated Press.
“You can see the disdain,” he said, per AP. “No. 1, she doesn’t like Israel. No. 2, she doesn’t like Jewish people. You know it, I know it and everybody knows it and nobody wants to say it.”
Trump also reportedly said that Jewish voters who backed Democrats “should have their head examined” and called Jewish people who vote Democratic “absolute [fools].”
“[Democrats] have let Jewish people down since [former President Barack Obama] at a level that nobody could believe,” Trump claimed, adding of Harris, ”She dislikes Jewish people and Israel even more than Biden did.”
Elsewhere in the WABC radio interview, host Sid Rosenberg claimed that Emhoff is a “crappy” and “horrible Jew,” prompting agreement from Trump. “He’s Jewish like Bernie Sanders is Jewish. Are you kidding me?” Rosenberg said.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff and Vice President Kamala Harris light a menorah for Hanukkah. Doug Emhoff/Twitter
In response to Trump’s remarks, Harris campaign spokesperson James Singer released a statement that said, “America is better than the fear, hate, and despicable insults of Donald Trump.”
“Vice President Harris believes Americans want a president who unites our country instead of divides it, uses the power of the presidency to help families instead of hurt them, and has a vision for our future, instead of taking us backwards,” he added.
Emhoff is the first Jewish member of the White House’s “Big 4,” which is comprised of the president, vice president and their spouses.
He has been open about his religion since moving to Washington, D.C, celebrating Passover and Hanukkah at the White House, and he hung a mezuzah on the doorpost of the vice president’s official residence.
Donald Trump at the CNN presidential debate on June 27, 2024.
Justin Sullivan/Getty
Trump’s remarks come a few days after his speech at an event hosted by the conservative organization Turning Point Action, in which the former president said that if he were to be elected, Christians would never need to vote again.
“Christians, get out and vote, just this time,” Trump said. “You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”
At the same event, Trump also claimed that he would “once again appoint rock-solid conservative judges who will protect religious liberty,” per Rolling Stone.
Singer promptly responded to Trump’s voting comments on behalf of the Harris campaign.
“When Vice President Harris says this election is about freedom, she means it,” he said in a statement at the time. “Our democracy is under assault by criminal Donald Trump… This campaign, he has promised violence if he loses, the end of our elections if he wins, and the termination of the Constitution to empower him to be a dictator to enact his dangerous Project 2025 agenda on America.”
