Former Vice President Joe Biden renewed his accusation that President Donald Trump is ignoring antisemitism — even though the president condemned it at length, once again, just a few weeks ago.
Biden, speaking to an online fundraising event, claimed that the president was “not saying a word” about antisemitism, according to the pool report (via Sahil Kapur of NBC News).
Biden tells a fundraiser that anti-Semitism is “the mother of all conspiracy theories” and adds: “People are walking into the state legislative body and in front of her driveway carrying assault rifles, Nazi banners and Confederate flags and the president is not saying a word.”
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 20, 2020
Not only has Trump repeatedly condemned antisemitism, but he did so extensively just a few weeks ago, in issuing a proclamation declaring May to be Jewish Heritage Month. The president said:
Throughout history, the Jewish people have demonstrated an unbreakable spirit, overcoming suffering, cruel oppression, violence, and bigotry. Tragically, Jewish men, women, and children continue to face anti-Semitic discrimination, persecution, and violence today, and Jewish institutions and places of worship remain targets of vandalism and destruction. Our country has wept too many times in the aftermaths of horrific attacks, including last April when a murderer opened fire in a synagogue in Poway, California, taking innocent life and shattering families in a cowardly display of evil. Such unconscionable acts are an abomination to all decent and compassionate people. Hatred is intolerable and has no place in our hearts or in our society. We must therefore vigorously confront anti-Semitic discrimination and violence against members of the Jewish community. That is why I signed an Executive Order last December, bolstering my Administration’s efforts to combat the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States and build a culture of respect, humanity, and equality.
This month, we reaffirm our commitment to never compromise our steadfast support for the Jewish community, our rejection of anti-Semitic bigotry, and our disdain for malicious attacks of hatred. Jewish Americans strengthen, sustain, and inspire our country through dedication to family, respect for cherished traditions, and commitment to the values of justice and equality that unite Americans of every faith and background. We give thanks for the profound contributions that Jewish Americans continue to make to our society, and way of life.
Biden appears to have been referring to recent protests in Michigan against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and her strict stay-at-home orders. A few people used the swastika symbol — to accuse Whitmer of being a fascist, not to express solidarity with fascism or antisemitism.
While offensive to many, the symbol appears at both left- and right-wing protests in that context, as Breitbart News recently noted. The swastika appeared in pro-union protests against Gov. Scott Walker (R) at the Wisconsin state capitol in 2011, for example — a cause that was broadly embraced by the Democratic Party. The symbol was used to foment outrage against Walker — albeit at the cost of shocking observers.
Tuesday’s fundraiser was hardly the first time that Biden has made false accusations that Trump is sympathetic toward antisemitism. He launched his campaign last April with the false claim that Trump called neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia, “very fine people” in August 2017. In fact, Trump said that the neo-Nazis should be “condemned totally.” Breitbart News confronted Biden last summer with the fact that he was misquoting Trump; he continued to do so.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His new book, RED NOVEMBER, is available for pre-order. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.