Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Condemning Rising Antisemitism

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the rise of antisemitism and harmful rhetoric across the country, and the dangerous consequences it will have. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Two hundred forty five days ago, I stood right here on the Senate floor to raise the alarm of rising antisemitism in America – and the need to condemn antisemitism whenever we see it.

This week, Squirrel Hill – the site of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre of 2018 – was targeted once again with antisemitic vandalism and attacks. These attacks are vile. They are hurtful. They poison our society with division, fear, grief. And for the Squirrel Hill community – which has already suffered unimaginable tragedy – this is particularly horrific.

It pains me to say that antisemitism like this is unfortunately not unusual today. In our communities and in our politics, antisemitism is ascendant. This week, none other than Donald Trump once again added to the division.

Yesterday, during a radio interview with WABC in New York City, Donald Trump agreed with his interviewer that the nation’s second gentleman, a Jewish American, is a “crappy Jew.” Why? Presumably because he is a Democrat.

On air, Donald Trump then repeated this sick idea that if you’re a Jew, and if you happen to support Democrats, you should “have your head examined” and that you’re a bunch of “fools.”

Sadly, we’ve been here before, but it must be said again: Donald Trump’s comments were reprehensible, dangerous, and proof that he is disturbingly at ease with antisemitic rhetoric.

It might be tempting to listen to what Donald Trump said on the radio and tune it out as just another Trump insult. But that would be a mistake. Calling Jews fools and suggesting they are bad or disloyal because of their political beliefs is not just some juvenile insult. It’s an old antisemitic trope that goes back centuries, one of dual-loyalty. It’s been used for a very long time to drive Jews out of their homes, to paint them as untrustworthy, to deny their basic dignity.

So when Donald Trump goes on air and attacks Jews for the way they vote, he knows precisely what he’s doing. He’s sowing the seeds of division. He is propagating naked antisemitsm.

Donald Trump will always try to drag this nation down with insults, intolerance, fear, smear. But we are better than that, as the American people will make clear – make very clear – in the months to come.

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