Anti-Semitic writers are thrilled that President Donald Trump denounced a Jewish reporter at a press conference and told him to be quiet after he asked the president to condemn anti-Semitism. They said Trump’s performance was “amazing” and “one of the greatest things I’ve ever witnessed in my life” because he criticized “the Jews” and showed that the press is “totally part of the Jewish deep state.”
During his February 16 press conference, Trump called on Jake Turx, a reporter for the Orthodox Jewish weekly Ami Magazine, because he was looking for a “friendly reporter.” As The New York Times noted, the “young correspondent received a tongue-lashing from the president” after he told Trump that he was concerned about “an uptick in anti-Semitism” and wondered what the government would do about it.
Trump interrupted Turx by claiming he’s “the least anti-Semitic person that you’ve ever seen in your entire life,” told the Jewish reporter to be “quiet,” and said Turx was a liar who asked a “repulsive” question. Turx later said that he thinks Trump “clearly misunderstood my question” and he’s “with” Trump “when it comes to being outraged about him being charged with this anti-Semitism.”
As ThinkProgress noted, Trump declined to denounce anti-Semitism on three separate occasions this week, including at a prior joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Anti-Semitic writers praised Trump’s press conference and used his refusal to condemn anti-Semitism as an indication that “everyone is pretty damn sick of Jews.”
Editor Andrew Anglin of the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer wrote that the press conference “was one of the greatest things I’ve ever witnessed in my life. From start to finish, it was simply beautiful. He blasted the media, the Jews, Mexicans, Obama -- all of his/our enemies.” The Daily Stormer worships Adolf Hitler, posts defenses of the Holocaust, and attacks Jewish people as “kikes.”
Daily Stormer writer Eric Striker also praised Trump in an article headlined “Trump Dismisses ‘Anti-Semitism’ Wolf-Crier, Identifies Fake Hate Crimes as Fake.” He wrote:
I’m going to go out on a limb here and make a Striker prediction: this lice infested ghetto Jew will be getting hardcore press coverage and made into a folk hero for a month straight or more. But on the bright side, Jews will gasp when they realize that A) nobody is listening to their fake news or celebrities anymore, and B) everyone is pretty damn sick of Jews.
Striker also claimed that hate crimes against Jewish people are “fake” and that if “there’s even an iota of truth to it, let them wallow in their karma. They should shut up and be grateful that anti-Semitism isn’t what it should be.”
David Duke, a former KKK leader who rails against Jewish people, repeatedly celebrated Trump’s answer on his Twitter account, writing, “Are we tired of winning yet, folks?” and claiming Trump’s “brain is working bigly.” He also praised the “great” press conference, writing that Trump “loves America”:
Are we tired of winning yet, folks? pic.twitter.com/3krth7twQ5
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) February 17, 2017
His brain is working bigly - but please, keep pushing the man.#FakeJournalism pic.twitter.com/iHaTiEWOeM
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) February 17, 2017
Say what you will, President Trump loves America - great press conference. pic.twitter.com/BRIj7dqDcG
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) February 16, 2017
Duke also began his radio program by praising Trump’s press conference, calling it “amazing” and saying, “I don’t think ever in my life I’ve thought that I’d see a president calling out the press, berating them, totally taking command of this press conference, basically telling them to shut up, telling them what fake news they are. As we all know, the United States media is an enemy of the great majority of the American people. It is totally part of the Jewish deep state.”
Trump previously justified anti-Semitic harassment against reporter Julia Ioffe after she wrote a profile of Melania Trump that the subject deemed unfair. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer interviewed Trump on May 4 and asked if he would denounce anti-Semitic death threats that Ioffe had received. Trump refused to condemn the threats, saying he was unaware of them and adding, “I don’t have a message to the fans. A woman wrote a article that was inaccurate.”
Trump’s May 2016 response thrilled neo-Nazis. The Daily Stormer headlined an article about the interview: “Glorious Leader Donald Trump Refuses to Denounce Stormer Troll Army.”
Deaths threats and online harassment against Jewish reporters like Ioffe continued throughout the 2016 campaign.
Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, wrote in a Washington Post piece today: “It is shocking to us that in this day and age, the president will not acknowledge -- much less condemn -- the rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric and actions. The issue of anti-Semitism is not a political one. But it is potentially lethal. With the president’s leadership, it can get better. With his neglect or instigation, it can get worse.”