The former president went too far:
from the beginning of his political career, Donald Trump was accused of sympathizing with the racist right in the US, and some of his statements in this regard were severely criticized by his Democratic opponents. However, all these years Trump avoided any statement that had anti-Semitic implications.
He even boasted that his daughter Ivanka had converted and that his grandchildren were Jewish.
But then came the meeting with the anti-Semitic rapper Kanye West and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, followed by criticism from those who were his allies.
Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes against a Trump support sign, 2017, photo: AFP
Brief background: The meeting in question took place at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.
Trump claimed after the meeting that he only approved West's arrival, but Hella surprised and included Fuentes.
Trump claims he didn't know him before.
"He appeared unexpectedly with three of his friends, about whom I knew nothing. We had dinner with many friends. The meal was quick and uneventful."
Trump also said that he wanted to convince the rapper not to run for the US presidency in 2024. West, for his part, claimed: Trump was favorably impressed by Fuentes.
Both West and Fuentes have a long history of speaking out against Jews.
Just a month ago, West was removed from the social networks Instagram and Twitter for this reason.
In one case he claimed that a rapper named Didi was "controlled by Jews".
In the past he claimed that he "loves Hitler and the Nazis".
Fuentes believes in white supremacy, regularly incites Jews on social media, and is an avowed Holocaust denier.
The "dinner" caused a stir.
Rapper Kanye West and former President Trump (archive), photo: AFP
Following the meeting, Trump's close associate and former ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, tweeted: "I say to my friends Donald Trump - you are capable of more. Even a social meeting with a Jew-hater like Kanye West and the human scum Nick Fuentes is unacceptable. I urge you to shake off these evildoers, Throw them into the dustbin of history where they belong."
The tweet of the ambassador to Israel during the Trump era
To my friend Donald Trump, you are better than this.
Even a social visit from an antisemite like Kanye West and human scum like Nick Fuentes is unacceptable.
I urge you to throw those bums out, disavow them and relegate them to the dustbin of history where they belong.
1/
— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) November 25, 2022
The Jewish-Republican Council, which just a week ago hosted Trump at its annual conference, also condemned the meeting.
The head of the council, Matt Brooks, quoted a harsh criticism on Twitter: "Okay, Trump said he didn't know who it was, but he should also have said he knew - he wouldn't have let him in."
Until the West Point incident, Trump enjoyed the support of about 30% of the Jewish community in the US, most of them from the Orthodox stream.
This group holds conservative positions and supports Israel.
Against this background, its leaders even supported Trump's words, when he claimed that many Jews in the US did not support him even though he helped Israel.
But even for them, legitimizing personalities like West and Fuentes is a red line. Trump will have to convince his Jewish supporters that he understands the seriousness of The mistake. Otherwise, he is likely to lose their political support.
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