Trump urged Jews to get ‘their act together’ on day he endorsed Zeldin

Shortly before wading into New York politics on Sunday by endorsing Rep. Lee Zeldin’s Republican run for governor, former President Donald Trump criticized American Jews, claiming they are insufficiently loyal to Israel.

“U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel - Before it is too late!” Trump wrote in a cryptic post on his Truth Social platform, deploying an anti-Semitic trope.

The post drew arched eyebrows, cast a shadow over his endorsement of Zeldin and continued to receive rebukes as the workweek began Monday.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Brooklyn Democrat and the majority leader, said in a statement on Monday that it is “no surprise that a guy who aligns himself with hateful white nationalists says stupid and offensive things about Jewish Americans and Israel.”

“No matter the issue, Donald Trump only thinks of what’s in it for him and not what is best for the nation, the American people, or for that matter, the Jewish people,” added Schumer, who is Jewish.

And Dan Goldman, the Democratic nominee for a House district that spans lower Manhattan and much of Brooklyn, said in a statement that Trump’s “transactional treatment of American Jews is not only repugnant but also antisemitic.”

“Perhaps Trump should focus more on learning from Jewish values, which strongly reject criminally conspiring to overturn an election and stealing national security secrets,” Goldman, who is Jewish, said in the statement.

Asked about the post, Zeldin’s campaign said in a statement that the congressman is “honored to have the support of New Yorkers from all walks of life.”

“They’re sick and tired of the attacks on our wallets, safety, kids’ education and more, and they know it’s going to take a new generation of leadership to get the job done,” said the statement.

Zeldin, who is challenging Gov. Hochul, has served as a loyal ally of Trump and voted to overturn the 2020 election won by President Biden.

The Long Island lawmaker joined a fund-raiser with Trump last month, but did not widely promote Trump’s endorsement through his press shop or social media channels, apparently wary of the former president’s dismal approval ratings in New York.

At a news conference in the Bronx on Monday, Zeldin said Trump’s endorsement “shouldn’t have been news.”

“He’s supported me before this weekend,” Zeldin said. “We’re getting support from people who are Republicans, who are Democrats, who are independents.”

Trump published his endorsement, which described Zeldin as a “great and brilliant lawyer,” about 22 minutes after issuing his missive about Jewish loyalty to Israel.

The post joined a series of remarks Trump has made suggesting he believes Jews should tie their faith to certain political preferences.

He has said any Jewish American who votes for a Democrat displays “either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty” and has described Israel’s former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before an audience of American Jews as “your prime minister.”

A spokeswoman for Trump, Liz Harrington, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

The Sunday post arrived after Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, faced restrictions on his Twitter and Instagram accounts over anti-Semitic comments. West moved Monday to buy Parler, a conservative social media platform that has drawn fans of Trump.