WASHINGTON (JTA) — Former President Donald Trump told a conservative Jewish radio host that Israel until recently “literally owned Congress,” a claim similar to those that have triggered accusations of antisemitism against other politicians.
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The comments came during Trump’s Oct. 29 interview with Seattle-based talk show host Ari Hoffman as Trump was reviewing his Middle East policies, including the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements between Israel and four Arab countries, and his pullout from the Iran nuclear deal.
Trump, as he discussed U.S. policy in the region, pivoted to what he believed was the “biggest change” he had seen recently.
“The biggest change I’ve seen in Congress is Israel literally owned Congress — you understand that. Ten years ago, 15 years ago, and it was so powerful, it was so powerful and today it’s almost the opposite,” Trump said.
Trump lifts the mask again: “Israel literally owned Congress… Israel has such power – and rightfully – over Congress, and now it doesn’t.” pic.twitter.com/uqzUkT89hh
— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) November 1, 2021
He blamed the influence of a group of Democratic Congress members on the party’s left who have been harshly critical of Israel and have called for a reduction in U.S. defense assistance to the country. He named Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
“You have between AOC and Omar and these people that hate Israel, they hate it with a passion. They’re controlling Congress, and Israel is not a force in Congress anymore,” Trump said. “I mean, it’s just amazing. I’ve never seen such a change. And we’re not talking about over a very long period. of time. But I think you know exactly what I what I’m saying.”
The claim that Israel controls Congress has historically been treated as an antisemitic slander by antisemitism watchdogs. Omar herself got into trouble and apologized in 2019 when she suggested that Israel and the pro-Israel lobby purchases sympathy in Congress.
Trump suggested that he did not have a problem with the notion that Israel had once controlled Congress, saying, “Israel had such power, and rightfully over Congress, and now it doesn’t.”
In the interview, Trump also repeated his disappointment with the U.S. Jewish community for not voting for him; President Joe Biden carried the overwhelming majority of Jewish voters in the last election.
“I didn’t get a kind of vote from Jewish people that you would think I would get,” Trump said. Trump earned rebukes from Jewish groups in 2019 when he said American Jews were not sufficiently loyal to Israel because they did not vote for him.
Nothing new. Trump says stuff. That’s just the way he is. And how I wish he were still president. I’d take Trump, warts and all, over what we’ve got now.
Amazing how the WOKE idiocy has crept into our community. Take someone who has been the best friendIsrael and frum yidden had in the four years he was in the White House Then take his words out of context and call him an anti semite. Disgusting and WOKE.
Listen to what he actually says, he isnt talking about Israel the country controlling congress to do their bidding, but the fact that congress overwhlemingly suported Israel, and support of Israel is what controlled congress, while now support for hamas is controlling congress, led by the Jew hating squad.
What a buffoon. Just shut up. This will only stoke more flames of anti semitism you moronic orange faced big gutted windbag. For a former president to say that Israel owned Congress until recently is only going to hurt Israel not help it. Is he trying to hurt his daughter and son in law and grandchildren?
I will be interested to see the comments here.
I’ve heard that allegation numerous times but never before from someone who claims to be a friend of Israel and the Jews. Trump apparently never thinks before he speaks and may harbor deep rooted anti Semitic thoughts.
Actions above words, stop filtering me. This is a communist tactic. He was a friend of Israel, Period! The dems are full of anti Israel politicians hiding in the shadow of sophisticated language & nice words.
it’s this putz that the religious jews were so ga-ga over.
shame on them
Trump makes generalized statements, blunt, and unfortunately often without nuance or awareness of implications. So what is valid 60-70% of the time, becomes for Trump 100% of the time, and its truth is stated in much broader way than the narrow areas where it was the probable. (In addition, and unfortunately, for him what was probable becomes the certain).
the religious crowd believed trump was a new shabbtai zvi. we know how that worked out
Brooklyn Orthodox voted big time for him. what does he not understand
Just some more hyperbole.
Ugh, why doesn’t he just accuse us of using Christian blood in our matzoh.
You guys love picking on his poor wording. Listen we all agree that the man is not the most polished public speaker out there. You all know exactly what eh menat though. All you crtics are outright lying and just playing it up because you hate him. Not one word of what you type is truthful.
Here is what he meant, He meant to say that the USA and Israel share string values morally and ethically. We should be influencing each other and are string allies. Till now that was transparent in Congress and we were both great teammates against terror, muslims and our enemies and sticking up for our values. That is now eroding in congress.
Now you guys all know this and are just lying thru your teeth like you always do. classic tactic to blow up a person’s poor choice of words vs looking at substance.
Do you guys have no shame at all? Shame on you.