Amid growing calls for action, Trump addresses JCC threats, anti-Semitism
Under growing pressure to address threats against the Jewish community following another wave of bomb threats called into Jewish Community Centers around the country Monday, President Trump broke his silence on the issue Tuesday morning.
After previously deflecting a number of questions about the apparent rise in anti-Semitic incidents, Mr. Trump chose to address the issue at the end of his visit Tuesday to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
“This tour was a meaningful reminder of why we have to fight bigotry, intolerance and hatred in all of its very ugly forms,” the president said. “The anti-Semitic threats targeting our Jewish community and community centers are horrible and are painful and a very sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil.”
His remarks followed days of increasing attention to the problem and weeks of anxiety within the Jewish community.
2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted Tuesday morning that the president should speak out against these incidents himself.
JCC threats, cemetery desecration & online attacks are so troubling & they need to be stopped. Everyone must speak out, starting w/ @POTUS.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 21, 2017
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) also called on the administration to address these threats. The group issued a statement saying that the “threats themselves are alarming, disruptive and must always be taken seriously,” despite the fact that all of the threats so far have turned out to be hoaxes.
We are still waiting to hear what administration will do to address ongoing threats to Jewish communities #answerthequestion https://t.co/eBSPz6krb4
— ADL (@ADL_National) February 20, 2017
Later in the day, the president’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, tweeted about the bomb threats.
America is a nation built on the principle of religious tolerance. We must protect our houses of worship & religious centers. #JCC
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) February 20, 2017
On Monday, a White House official put out this statement: “Hatred and hate-motivated violence of any kind have no place in a country founded on the promise of individual freedom. The President has made it abundantly clear that these actions are unacceptable.”
The head of the ADL, Jonathan Greenblatt, suggested on Twitter that Mr. Trump should speak out against the threats himself.
Glad to see this. All Jews need to urge @POTUS to step forward & share a plan. His words carry weight. His actions will speak even louder. https://t.co/uAgh1R1pA7
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) February 21, 2017
The situation Monday marked the fourth time in which bomb threats were called into JCCs across the country, bringing the total to 69 threats at 54 JCCs across the country in 27 states. They have all been hoaxes.
Mr. Trump dodged questions about a rise in anti-Semitism last week at two White House press conferences. On Thursday, for example, a Jewish reporter asked the president how the administration plans to address the issue and instead of answering it, Mr. Trump told the reporter to sit down and said it was “not a fair question,” then declared “I am the least anti-Semitic person that you’ve ever seen in your entire life.”
CBS News’ Rebecca Kaplan contributed to this report.