Vance downplays antisemitism, calling it a ‘backlash’ against foreign policy

Vice President JD Vance appears to reject criticism of far-right figures, including Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, while minimizing US antisemitism, claiming it is a “real backlash” against the country’s foreign policy.

By World Israel News Staff

Vice President JD Vance downplayed American antisemitism, claiming only a tiny percentage of Americans are genuinely anti-Jewish and arguing that what is often portrayed as antisemitism is in fact a “real backlash” against US support for Israel.

The vice president waded into the ongoing debate inside the American right over the controversial positions staked out by far-right commentators, including Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, in two separate appearances over the past few days.

On Friday, Vance was interviewed by the media site UnHerd, which published the interview on Monday.

Vance took the stage at the Turning Point USA’s annual conference on Sunday, addressing the gathering following speeches over the past few days by Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon that focused heavily on the civil war now under way within the MAGA wing of the Republican Party.

Vance did not directly address the accusations made by either side, instead calling for unity on the right and rejecting “self-defeating purity tests.”

“I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to deplatform,” Vance said. “We have far more important work to do than canceling each other.”

In his interview with UnHerd, however, Vance directly addressed claims of growing antisemitism among a segment of the populist right and defended Carlson from criticism leveled by Shapiro accusing Carlson of turning on conservative principles.

“Tucker’s a friend of mine. And do I have disagreements with Tucker Carlson? Sure. I have disagreements with most of my friends, especially those who work in politics,” Vance said.

“I find the idea that Tucker Carlson… that his views are somehow completely anathema to conservatism, that he has no place in the conservative movement, is frankly absurd. And I don’t think anybody actually believes it.

“I think that there’s a certain amount of gatekeeping where people are trying to settle their own ideological scores, and that’s what’s really going on here.”

Vance denounced antisemitism, comparing it to anti-white bigotry.

“On some of the broader issues, antisemitism, and all forms of ethnic hatred, have no place in the conservative movement. Whether you’re attacking somebody because they’re white or because they’re black or because they’re Jewish, I think it’s disgusting, and we should call that stuff out.”

The vice president did explicitly condemn white supremacist Nick Fuentes, who has praised Adolf Hitler, accused Vance of being a “race traitor,” and referred to Vance’s wife using an ethnic slur.

“On Fuentes, I’ve criticized him in the past, but let me be clear: Anyone who attacks my wife, whether their name is Jen Psaki or Nick Fuentes, can eat shit.

“My attitude towards anybody, again, who is calling for judging people based on their ethnic heritage, whether they’re Jewish or white or anything else – it’s disgusting.”

However, Vance suggested that Israel’s supporters in the US have exaggerated the extent of antisemitism to deflect criticism of America’s Middle East policies.

He argued that the overwhelming majority of Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, “do not hate Jewish people,” adding that much of what is described as antisemitism is actually a “backlash” against American foreign policy regarding Israel.

“I happen to believe that Israel is an important ally [and] that there are certain things that we’re certainly going to work together on. But we’re also going to have very substantive disagreements with Israel, and that’s OK.

“And we should be able to say, ‘We agree with Israel on that issue, and we disagree with Israel on this other issue.’ Having that conversation is, I think, much less comfortable for a lot of people because they want to focus on Nick Fuentes instead of on: Why is Nick Fuentes gaining popularity or gaining notoriety?

“Because 99% of Republicans, and I think probably 97% of Democrats, do not hate Jewish people for being Jewish. What is actually happening is that there is a real backlash to a consensus view in American foreign policy. I think we already had that conversation, and not try to shut it down. Most Americans aren’t antisemitic. They’re never going to be antisemitic, and I think we should focus on the real debate.”

AntisemitismJD VanceRepublican party