Trump Praises Kraft As 'A Winner' And 'Special Friend Of Israel' At White House Hanukkah Event
WASHINGTON (CBS) – New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft spoke at the White House Wednesday in praise of President Donald Trump's executive order targeting anti-Semitism on college campuses. The president invited Kraft to make comments at a Hanukkah celebration.
"We can all learn from Bob – he's a champ, he's a winner," Trump said. "As usual his team is mired in first place. Have you ever been in second place? Not too often."
Trump's executive order expands the federal definition of anti-Semitism in an effort to enforce laws against discrimination at colleges. It has been panned by free speech advocates and those who say it could be used to limit criticism of the Israeli government.
"You've been a special friend of Israel, nobody closer to Israel than Bob Kraft," Trump said.
Kraft said he was honored to be at the event because there is bipartisan support for the issue.
"I'm so proud at this time that we're doing something that is so bipartisan and my wife, bless her memory, would be smiling right now because she loved America first and Israel. . . and wanted to build bridges between the two places," Kraft said. "This more than anything is going to help do that."
Kraft and Trump are longtime friends.
