The “alt-right” website Breitbart News is reportedly set to announce that they have hired former ESPN analyst Curt Schilling to host a conservative talk radio show. Schilling was criticized by the Anti-Defamation League on Friday for “positioning Israel as a partisan issue” after he pushed the anti-Semitic trope that American Jewish people should all support Republicans because that party is supposedly more supportive of Israel.
New York magazine reported Sunday that Schilling, a Donald Trump supporter and former MLB pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Boston Red Sox, “will begin hosting a daily online radio show featuring political commentary and calls from listeners” for Breitbart News. New York quoted Breitbart News editor in chief Alex Marlow explaining, “He got kicked off ESPN for his conservative views. He’s a really talented broadcaster.”
In fact, Schilling was fired from ESPN after he shared an anti-transgender image on Facebook; he had previously been suspended for comparing Muslims to Nazis on Twitter. In other social media postings, Schilling has repeatedly demonized Muslims as killers, shared a picture calling Hillary Clinton a drunk murderer, and suggested civil rights leaders like Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) aren't patriotic.
The announcement that Schilling will join Breitbart News comes just days after the retired pitcher, failed businessman, and would-be Senate candidate drew criticism for asking CNN anchor Jake Tapper “as a person who is practicing the Jewish faith” how he explains “how people of Jewish faith can back the Democratic Party” given that the party has supposedly been “so clearly anti-Jewish Israel.” Tapper responded that while he doesn’t “speak for Jews,” he believes that Jewish Americans prioritize what they see as the interests of their own country over those of Israel.
After I posted video of the exchange on Twitter, ADL National Director and CEO Jonathan Greenblatt responded, “I liked Curt Schilling more when he was winning World Series for my #RedSox rather than positioning #Israel as a partisan issue.”
.@MattGertz I liked Curt Schilling more when he was winning World Series for my #RedSox rather than positioning #Israel as a partisan issue https://t.co/pvINPm5TQl
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) October 21, 2016
The Democratic Party is not anti-Israel; the 2016 party platform states that “a strong and secure Israel is vital to the United States because we share overarching strategic interests and the common values of democracy, equality, tolerance, and pluralism.” Moreover, the notion that Jewish people prioritize the state of Israel and Jews collectively over the countries in which they reside is a classic anti-Semitic trope.
Breitbart News has been repeatedly criticized for publishing anti-Semitic discourse. Stephen Bannon, who has taken a leave of absence as chairman of the outlet to serve as CEO of Trump’s presidential campaign, has played a leading role in mainstreaming the anti-Semitic “alt-right” movement.