Twitter Critics Explode Over Trump's Threat To Jews To Be More Grateful To Him Or Else
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Donald Trump critics had a meltdown on Twitter Sunday after the former president warned Jews to be “more appreciative” of him before it’s “too late.”
Trump posted the startling message Sunday morning on Truth Social.
“No President has done more for Israel than I have. Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S.,” he railed.
Trump also wildly claimed that he was so popular in Israel that he could become the nation’s prime minister.
“We’ve been menaced by fascists before, you two-bit goon,” tweeted commentator and author David Rothkopf in response. “We recognize the threat you represent from the darkest pages of our history. That’s why we’ll never submit to your threats.”
But as for any response from Trump’s Republican Party: Crickets.
Most critics were dumbfounded that Trump would expect gratitude from American Jews given his backing for neo-Nazis and his supporters’ drive to turn the U.S. into a Christian nation.
Trump previously alienated Americans when he tried a similar stunt earlier to strong-arm Jewish voters in a 2019 speech at the Israeli American Council National Summit in Florida.
“A lot of you are in the real estate business because I know you very well,” Trump said then. “You’re brutal killers, not nice people at all. But you have to vote for me, you have no choice.”
Critics were particularly furious about Trump’s “before it’s too late” warning. Many viewed it as a threat to again spur his white supremacist mob into violence if he doesn’t get his way.
Former National Security Council member and retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman — who testified against Trump in the first impeachment investigation against him — characterized the warning as “executing the fascist playbook to turn his mob on Jews.”
Harvard University constitutional expert Lawrence Tribe called the message blatantly antisemitic. He reminded Americans that Trump reportedly kept a copy of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle) next to his bed for several years, adding: “If it quacks like a duck ....”
Countless other tweets were eviscerating.
Trump is executing the fascist playbook to turn his mob on Jews.
Too often, media lets statements like this be forgotten. Sometimes it doesn't even break through the news cycle. Most of the time, GOP isn't pinned down to tell people if they agree.
It CANNOT happen this time. pic.twitter.com/JqW5nHtFln— Alexander S. Vindman (@AVindman) October 16, 2022
OMG:
Trump tells us “Jews to get our act together . . . before it is too late.”
If that’s not an antisemitic threat, I don’t know what to call it.
You know he kept Mein Kampf at his beside for years, right?
If it quacks like a duck . . . https://t.co/Y794f9BA5i— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) October 16, 2022
American Jews will not be pushed around by a Fascist Criminal.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) October 16, 2022
Make no mistake.
Trump hates Jews, Muslims, Black, Brown, Asian and any other people who don’t look or think like him.
Trump hates.
And encourages his cult to do likewise. https://t.co/pbRQyI53jm— Harvey Bobrow (@Hbobrow1Hbobrow) October 16, 2022
American Jews? Texas Jews are in danger. Open carry and Jesus prayers at city hall meetings. People openly stating Anti semitic statements. Thanks to Greg Abbott and Trump Texas has become a Christian fascist state.
— Sara Spector (@Miriam2626) October 16, 2022
Dear Donald Trump:
I could explain that American Jews are not Israeli. That your conflation is harmful. That your rhetoric led to a rise in antisemitism.
But you know that and don't care. So instead I'll just say this:
Go fuck yourself.
Sincerely,
An American Jew— Steve Hofstetter (@SteveHofstetter) October 16, 2022
Someone please tell Trump that American Jews don’t support him because he’s a bigoted, anti-Semitic, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, corrupt, lying, fascist, traitorous asshole.
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) October 16, 2022
pro tip: if you literally called Nazis 'very fine people,' kindly sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up and stop whining about American Jews, whatever the fuck that even means. go cheat at golf or whatever for fuck's sake and leave us alone
— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) October 16, 2022
— Renee Shatanoff (@ReneeVoiceBrand) October 16, 2022
You really don’t need to read between the lines much on this one — Trump has no concept of American Jews as a community that lives and prospers here with an identity and interests that are distinct from the concerns of the State of Israel. pic.twitter.com/jm86JVCHgq
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) October 16, 2022
Between Kanye and Trump, this is a very worrying time for American Jews. Both of these people have huge audiences and major platforms online. And they're using them for baseless smears and vague threats against a community that is just over 2% of the population.
— Matthew Kupfer (@Matthew_Kupfer) October 16, 2022
Do any Republican Party leaders have any comment at all on Trump's admonition to American Jews?
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) October 16, 2022
congratulations to the literally zero Republicans who have stood up to denounce Donald Trump's attack on American Jews. take a victory lap, you spineless fucking cowards
— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) October 16, 2022
More unabashed antisemitism from GOP leader Donald Trump. His threat to Jewish Americans and his continued use of the antisemitic dual loyalty trope fuels hatred against Jews.
We will not be threatened by Donald Trump and Jewish Americans will reject GOP bigotry this November. https://t.co/sVOA25OvhH— Jewish Dems (@USJewishDems) October 16, 2022
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.