The comments, on a conservative radio program, echo an antisemitic trope and escalate claims he made as president that were widely criticized.
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In Dayton, Ohio, on Saturday, former President Donald J. Trump made inflammatory statements about migrants and described a “blood bath” if he was not elected.
Former president Donald J. Trump accused Jewish voters of hating their religion and Israel if they vote for Democrats, reviving and escalating a claim he made as president that Jewish Democrats were disloyal.
He made his remarks in an interview published online on Monday with Sebastian Gorka, a former White House aide for Mr. Trump who now hosts a conservative talk radio program. Mr. Gorka asked Mr. Trump about criticism that prominent Democrats — including President Biden and Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader — had levied against Benjamin Netanyahu, the right-wing prime minister of Israel.
“I actually think they hate Israel,” Mr. Trump replied.
“Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion,” he added later. “They hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed.”
Democratic officials “hate Israel,” he said, because they want votes from people who are sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 30,000 people have been killed in the war there.
“Don’t forget, when you see those Palestinian marches — even I am amazed at how many people are in those marches,” Mr. Trump said. “And guys like Schumer see that, and to him it’s votes. I think it’s votes more than anything else because he was always pro-Israel. He’s very anti-Israel now.”
Mr. Trump received significant criticism for similar comments he made as president, when he repeatedly accused Jewish voters of disloyalty if they voted for Democrats. Those remarks, and Mr. Trump’s comments on Monday, evoke an antisemitic trope that Jews have a “dual loyalty” and are often more loyal to Israel than to their own countries.
Chris Cameron covers politics for The Times, focusing on breaking news and the 2024 campaign. More about Chris Cameron
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Source: nytimes.com
