Trump critical of "U.S. Jews" in social media post
Former President Donald Trump wrote that "U.S. Jews have to get their act together" on his social media platform Truth Social Sunday morning, saying "no President has done more for Israel than I have."
"U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel - Before it is too late!" Trump wrote.
Trump, whose daughter, Ivanka, converted to Judaism, has long touted his 2017 decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner's work attempting to negotiate peace in the Middle East.
A 2020 AJC survey of American Jewish Opinion found that 75% of American Jews planned to vote for President Biden. Trump has long been frustrated by lack of support among the Jewish community in the U.S., saying in 2021 that "the Jewish people in the United States either don't like Israel or don't care about Israel."
In the post early Sunday, Trump wrote that "wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S. Those living in Israel...are a different story."
It's not clear what prompted Trump's post, but it has drawn significant backlash.
The White House denounced Trump's comments on Monday, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre calling his post "antisemitic" and "insulting."
"We need to root out antisemitism everywhere it rears its ugly head," she said. "We need to call this out."
Alexander Vindman, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel — and former director for European affairs for the National Security Council — wrote on Twitter that "Trump is executing the fascist playbook to turn his mob on Jews."
The Jewish Democratic Council of America described his comments in a tweet as "more unabashed antisemitism from GOP leader Donald Trump."
"His threat to Jewish Americans and his continued use of the antisemitic dual loyalty trope fuels hatred against Jews," they continued.
Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, responded to Trump's comments on Twitter, stating, "We don't need the former president, who curries favor with extremists and antisemites, to lecture us about the US-Israel relationship."
"This 'Jewsplaining' is insulting and disgusting," he added.
We don't need the former president, who curries favor with extremists and antisemites, to lecture us about the US-Israel relationship. It is not about a quid pro quo; it rests on shared values and security interests. This "Jewsplaining" is insulting and disgusting. pic.twitter.com/5XihxQGmLT
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) October 16, 2022
Trump's comments fall on the last day of Sukkot, one of three Jewish pilgrimage festivals, and the eve of Simchat Torah, a holiday that marks the ending of the annual cycle of Torah readings, and the beginning of the new cycle.