Trump made it clear on Wednesday that he meant Jews were being disloyal to themselves and Israel by voting Democrat.
By World Israel News Staff
President Donald Trump clarified remarks he made on Tuesday concerning Jews who vote for the Democratic party given its refusal to distance itself from two anti-Israel representatives, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.
On Wednesday, Trump said “If you vote for a Democrat, you’re being disloyal to Jewish people, and you’re being very disloyal to Israel.”
This was a clearer version of his Tuesday comments at the Oval Office in which he said, “Any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat – I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.”
Trump’s comments opened him up to a wave of criticism, mainly from Democrats and liberal Jewish groups who accused him of flirting with an anti-Semitic stereotype, choosing to interpret his comments to mean that Jews weren’t showing sufficient loyalty to America.
Rep. Omar of Minnesota has traded more explicitly in anti-Semitic tropes, accusing AIPAC, America’s largest lobbying arm on behalf of Israel, of buying support in Congress. She also accused Jews of pushing “for allegiance to a foreign country.”
The Republican Jewish Coalition on Tuesday rejected the idea that Trump was doing the same, saying he had meant that Jews who voted Democrat were being disloyal to themselves.
Trump’s Wednesday clarification shows this was the case.
The president’s original comments were sparked by a Monday press conference held by Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib of Michigan at which they hinted at cutting U.S. aid to Israel.
Trump made a strong defense of Israel during his initial ‘disloyalty’ comment on Tuesday, saying “Five years ago, the concept of even talking about this – even three years ago – of cutting off aid to Israel because of two people that hate Israel and hate Jewish people – I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation.”
“Where has the Democratic Party gone? Where have they gone where they’re defending these two people over the State of Israel?” Trump said.