Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, the
president of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
from 2017 to 2021 and since 2025, has a history of speech and actions that have been viewed by scholars, Jewish organizations, and the public as
antisemitic
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
or fostering a political climate that is hospitable to antisemites. President Trump has also been an outspoken critic of
pro-Palestinian
Palestinian nationalism is the national movement of the Palestinian people that espouses self-determination and sovereignty over the region of Palestine
The region of Palestine, also known as historic Palestine, is a geographical ar ...
and
anti-Israel sentiment in the United States, including on college campuses, which he characterizes as
antisemitic
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
, and has signed two executive orders to counter antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Critics have alleged that President Trump has views that are simultaneously
pro-Israel and
antisemitic
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
. Opinion polls have found that a slight majority of American Jews regard Trump as antisemitic and a large majority disapprove of his antisemitism policies.
Accusations of antisemitism
Antisemitic tropes and threats
According to former Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino president John O'Donnell, in the 1990s Trump said "Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are little short guys that wear yarmulkes every day."
During Trump's 2016 campaign for president, ''
The Times of Israel
''The Times of Israel'' (ToI) is an Israeli multi-language online newspaper that was launched in 2012 and has since become the largest English-language Jewish and Israeli news source by audience size. It was co-founded by Israeli journalist Dav ...
'' published a timeline of his antisemitic "controversies", including remarks he made to the
Republican Jewish Coalition
The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), formerly the National Jewish Coalition, founded in 1985, is a political group in the United States that supports Jewish Republicans. The organization has more than 47 chapters throughout the United States. ...
invoking tropes about Jews and money. In his
first presidency
Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...
, he was accused of espousing antisemitism on numerous occasions. In a speech at the
Israeli-American Council in 2019, Trump referenced classic
antisemitic trope
Antisemitic tropes, also known as antisemitic canards or antisemitic libels, are " sensational reports, misrepresentations or fabrications" about Jews as an ethnicity or Judaism as a religion.
Since the 2nd century, malicious allegations of J ...
s in his appeal to Jewish voters. Discourse around Trump's relationship with
Judaism in America was revived later in his presidency. In October 2022, Trump called for American Jews to "appreciate Israel before it's too late", aligning with his past claims that American Jews no longer love Israel.
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' has accused the Trump campaign of using antisemitic imagery, tropes, and
dog whistles
A dog whistle (also known as silent whistle or Galton's whistle) is a type of whistle that emits sound in the ultrasonic range, which humans cannot hear but some other animals can, including dogs and domestic cats, and is used in their training. ...
in campaign emails, including references to
George Soros conspiracy theories
Hungarian-American billionaire businessman George Soros is the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. Veronika Bondarenko, writing for ''Business Insider'' said: "For two decades, some have seen Soros as a kind of puppet master Shadow governme ...
, images of money mixed with
Stars of David
The Star of David (, , ) is a symbol generally recognized as representing both Jewish identity and Judaism. Its shape is that of a hexagram: the compound of two equilateral triangles.
A derivation of the Seal of Solomon was used for decora ...
, and terminology such as "
globalists" and "
cabal
A cabal is a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state (polity), state, or another community, often by Wiktionary:intrigue, intrigue and usually without the kn ...
".
In a speech on July 3, 2025, Trump said, "Think of that: No death tax. No
estate tax
International tax law distinguishes between an estate tax and an inheritance tax. An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and pr ...
. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker - and in some cases,
Shylock
Shylock () is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play '' The Merchant of Venice'' ( 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal villain. His defeat and forced conversion to Christianity form the climax ...
s and bad people”, invoking the trope of Jews as
greedy moneylenders.
Jewish voters who support Democrats "disloyal"
On August 20, 2019, after a reporter asked "Should there be any change in U.S. aid to Israel?", Donald Trump stated within his answer, "And I think any Jewish people that vote for a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY)
**Democratic Part ...
, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or
great disloyalty." Trump counterposed the Democratic Party to the
Republican Party, which he represented. The utterance caused outrage, shock and disdain from Jewish leaders and citizens in the United States.
They claimed that the president was perpetuating antisemitic stereotypes.
Democratic presidential candidate
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
responded at a
campaign rally
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referen ...
in
Iowa City
Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's fifth-most populous city. The Iowa City metropolitan area, which enc ...
, "I am a proud Jewish person, and I have no concerns about voting Democratic. And in fact, I intend to vote for a Jewish man to become the next president of the United States."
2022 Mar-a-Lago incident
On November 22, 2022, Trump had a private dinner at
Mar-a-Lago
Mar-a-Lago ( , ) is a resort and National Historic Landmark on a barrier island in Palm Beach, Florida, United States. It spans 126 rooms and built on of land. Since 1985, it has been owned by Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of t ...
with
Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), who brought
Nick Fuentes
Nicholas Joseph Fuentes (born August 18, 1998) is an American Far-right politics, far-rightMultiple sources:
*
*
*
*
* Pundit, political pundit, activist, and Online streamer, live streamer who promotes White supremacy, white supremacist, Hom ...
along with him. Fuentes is a prominent
Holocaust-denier and antisemite, and Ye had made a widely reported antisemitic comments during the months before the dinner. Trump later stated that he hadn't known of Fuentes' beliefs; however, in discussing the dinner, Trump did not condemn his guests' antisemitism. Both Republicans and Democrats criticized his choice to dine with them.
Claim that Jewish Democrats hate Israel and their religion
On March 18, 2024, Trump was criticized for claiming "any Jewish person that votes for Democrats
hates their religion", and that "they hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed". Following mounting criticism from Jewish groups, Trump's campaign responded that "Trump is right", and that the Democratic Party "has turned into a full-blown anti-Israel, antisemitic, pro-terrorist cabal".
Jonathan Greenblatt
Jonathan Greenblatt (born November 21, 1970) is an American entrepreneur, corporate executive, and the sixth national director and CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Prior to heading the ADL, Greenblatt served in the White House as Speci ...
of the
Anti-Defamation League called Trump's comments "defamatory and patently false". Chief executive Amy Spitalnick of the
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) is an American Jewish progressive and advocacy group.
JCPA was originally founded in 1944 by the Council of Jewish Federations as the umbrella organization for local Jewish advocacy arms known as ...
claimed that Trump was "further normalizing dangerous antisemites". Trump's claims were accused of evoking an
antisemitic
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
trope that Jews have a '
dual loyalty
In politics, dual loyalty is loyalty to two separate interests that potentially conflict with each other, leading to a conflict of interest.
Examples
Examples of actual or perceived "dual loyalty" include the following:
United States
Wor ...
' and are more loyal to Israel than to their own countries. Trump's comments echoed previous comments he made during his presidency by accusing Jews who vote for Democrats as "disloyal". Following his initial comments on March 18, Trump repeatedly accused Jews who voted or intended to vote for
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
of betraying their religious and cultural identities.
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
'
campaign and several non-partisan Jewish organizations criticized Trump's comments during an antisemitism conference on September 19 where he stated that "if I don't win this election" then "the Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss" and continued criticizing liberal Jews for "voting for the enemy" by claiming the Democratic party had a "hold, or curse" on Jewish Americans.
Jewish voters to blame if Trump lost election
In September 2024, at an event dedicated to countering antisemitism, Donald Trump complained about his lack of support among Jewish voters and stated that Jewish voters would be substantially to blame if he lost the 2024 presidential election, saying that "I'm not going to call this a prediction, but, in my opinion, the Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss if I’m at 40%." In response,
Doug Emhoff
Douglas Craig Emhoff (born October 13, 1964) is an American lawyer who served as the Second ladies and gentlemen of the United States, second gentleman of the United States from 2021 to 2025. Married to the 49th vice president of the United St ...
said that Trump had "once again fanned the flames of antisemitism by trafficking in tropes blaming and scapegoating Jews." ADL chief Jonathan Greenblatt said that Trump had undermined his own message against antisemitism by "employing numerous antisemitic tropes and anti-Jewish stereotypes", including the accusation of
dual loyalty
In politics, dual loyalty is loyalty to two separate interests that potentially conflict with each other, leading to a conflict of interest.
Examples
Examples of actual or perceived "dual loyalty" include the following:
United States
Wor ...
.
Denying Chuck Schumer's Jewishness
In March 2025, Trump made comments denying the Jewishness of
Chuck Schumer
Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York, a seat he has held since 1999. ...
, the leader of the Democrats in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
: "As far as I'm concerned, he's become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He's not Jewish any more. He's a Palestinian." Trump's remarks were condemned by rights groups as antisemitic and
anti-Palestinian
Anti-Palestinianism or anti-Palestinian racism refers to prejudice, collective hatred, and discrimination directed at the Palestinian people for any variety of reasons. Since the mid-20th century, the phenomenon has largely overlapped with anti ...
. In response, Schumer alleged that Trump "does not do enough to combat antisemitism...even though I don't think he's antisemitic himself."
Poll of Jewish voters
In a May 2025 poll of registered US voters who are Jewish, 52% viewed Trump as somewhat or very antisemitic. Sixty-four percent disapproved of Trump's efforts to combat antisemitism, compared to 36% who approved.
Response of Jewish organizations
In 2025, former
Anti-Defamation League chief
Abraham Foxman
Abraham Henry Foxman (born May 1, 1940) is an American lawyer and activist. He served as the national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) from 1987 to 2015, and is currently the organization's national director emeritus. From 2016 to 20 ...
denounced the ADL and its new chief
Jonathan Greenblatt
Jonathan Greenblatt (born November 21, 1970) is an American entrepreneur, corporate executive, and the sixth national director and CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Prior to heading the ADL, Greenblatt served in the White House as Speci ...
as well as other Jewish organizations and figures for an allegedly muted response to antisemitism within the Trump administration and among Trump supporters, comparing the response to
Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndrome is a proposed condition or theory that tries to explain why hostages sometimes develop a psychological bond with their captors. Emotional bonds can possibly form between captors and captives, during intimate time together, ...
. Regarding the
2024 Donald Trump rally at Madison Square Garden
On October 27, 2024, presidential candidate Donald Trump hosted a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The main event was a 78-minute speech from Trump, which his campaign characterized as his closing message. Multiple people ...
, Foxman stated that "There's no question about it: For the American Jewish Committee, the ADL, Conference of Presidents, the federations, all these institutions, if this happened six months ago, they would be out there condemning racism and antisemitism and hate speech."
Executive orders to counter antisemitism
During his first administration, on December 11, 2019, Trump signed
Executive Order 13899
The Executive Order on Combating Anti-Semitism, officially Executive Order 13899, is an executive order announced on December 10, 2019, and signed the next day by U.S. President Donald Trump. The said purpose of the order was to prevent antisemi ...
, "Combating Anti-Semitism," aimed at making it easier to use laws that prohibit institutional discrimination against people based on race, color or national origin to punish discrimination against Jewish people, and classifying opposition to the existence of
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
as antisemitism.
During his second administration, on January 29, 2025, Trump signed
Executive Order 14188, "Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism", which focuses on antisemitism in educational settings, especially in higher education. Trump claimed that there has been an "explosion of antisemitism" in the United States and vowed to arrest and deport "
Hamas
The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
sympathizers" and "pro-jihadist" student protesters. The executive order has been used in attempts to deport holders of
student visas and
green card
A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. ("The term 'lawfully admitted for permanent residence' means the status of having been ...
s who have expressed pro-Palestinian views, and in investigations into 60 colleges and universities based on their alleged failures to protect students from "antisemitic harassment and discrimination". Such uses have been supported by some Jewish groups and opposed by others,
with more than one of the latter groups suggesting that antisemitism is being used as a guise for authoritarianism.
When polled in May, 49% of registered Jewish voters said that the actions taken against higher education had increased antisemitism, compared to 25% who believed that they reduced antisemitism, and when asked about the arrest and deportation of pro-Palestinian protesters, 61% said that it increased antisemitism, compared to 20% who said it reduced antisemitism.
Lily Sawyer-Kaplan, a lawyer with the
Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division
The Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and national origin.
The division was established on December 9, 1957, b ...
, which enforces federal laws that prohibit various kinds of discrimination, resigned in April 2025, citing pressure "to use antisemitism as a pretext to undermine free speech."
Response of Jewish organizations
In April 2025, a group of 10 major Jewish-American organizations issued a joint statement denouncing the Trump administration's antisemitism policies. The statement said that "These actions do not make Jews — or any community — safer. Rather, they only make us less safe." The organizations that denounced Trump's antisemitism policies included the
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) until 2003, founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the congregational arm of Reform Judaism in North America. The other two arms establ ...
, the
Central Conference of American Rabbis
The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), founded in 1889 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, is the principal organization of Reform rabbis in the United States and Canada. The CCAR is the largest and oldest rabbinical organization in the world. ...
,
HIAS
HIAS, founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, is a Jewish American nonprofit that provides humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees. It was established on in 1881 to help Russian Jewish immigrants to the United States escaping antisemi ...
, the
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
The Religious Action Center (RAC) is the political and legislative outreach arm of Reform Judaism in the United States. The Religious Action Center is operated under the auspices of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, a joint instrum ...
, the
American Conference of Cantors
The cantor ( ''Hazzan'' or ''Hazan'') in the Reform Judaism, Reform movement is a clergy member who fills a diverse role within the Jewish community. Cantors lead worship, officiate at lifecycle events, teach adults and children, run synagogue mu ...
, the
National Council of Jewish Women
The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Founded in 1893, the NCJW describes itself as the oldest Jewish women's grassroots organization organization in the USA and currently has over 225,000 members. ...
, the Conservative movement's
Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly (RA) is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, an ...
, the
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA) founded in 1974, is the professional association of rabbis affiliated with Reconstructionist Judaism. It has approximately 300 members, most of whom are graduates of the Reconstructionist Rabbinica ...
, and the
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) is an American Jewish progressive and advocacy group.
JCPA was originally founded in 1944 by the Council of Jewish Federations as the umbrella organization for local Jewish advocacy arms known as ...
.
See also
*
Anti-Palestinianism
Anti-Palestinianism or anti-Palestinian racism refers to prejudice, collective hatred, and discrimination directed at the Palestinian people for any variety of reasons. Since the mid-20th century, the phenomenon has largely overlapped with ant ...
*
Antisemitism in US higher education
Jews have faced Antisemitism in the United States, antisemitism and discrimination in universities and campuses in the United States, from the founding of universities in the Thirteen Colonies until the present day in varying intensities. From t ...
*
Antisemitism at Columbia University
There were several instances of antisemitism at Columbia University in the first half of the 20th century. In the early 21st century, discourse surrounding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict lead to accusations of antisemitism.
After the Octob ...
*
Christian Zionism
Christian Zionism is a political and religious ideology that, in a Christianity and Judaism, Christian context, espouses the return of the Jews, Jewish people to the Holy Land. Likewise, it holds that the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 ...
*
Donald Trump and fascism
There has been significant academic and political debate over whether Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, can be considered a fascist, especially during his Donald Trump 2024 presidential campaign, 2024 presidential ...
*
Elon Musk salute controversy
On January 20, 2025, while speaking at a rally celebrating U.S. president Donald Trump's second inauguration, businessman and political figure Elon Musk twice made a salute interpreted by many as a Nazi or a fascist Roman salute.
It was ...
*
Israel–United States relations
Since the 1960s, the relationship between Israel and the United States has grown into a close alliance in economic, strategic and military aspects. The U.S. has provided strong support for Israel and has played a key role in the promotion of g ...
*
New antisemitism
New antisemitism is the concept that a new form of antisemitism developed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, typically manifesting itself as anti-Zionism. The concept is included in some definitions of antisemitism, such as the working d ...
*
Normalization of antisemitism
Normalization of antisemitism refers to the shift of anti-Jewish hate from fringe to mainstream. Through the years, various scholars have examined the normalization of antisemitism in their works, analyzing its persistence and evolving manifestati ...
*
Philosemitism
Philosemitism, also called Judeophilia, is "defense, love, or admiration of Jews and Judaism". Such attitudes can be found in Western cultures across the centuries. The term originated in the nineteenth century by self-described German antisemit ...
*
Racial views of Donald Trump
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has a history of speech and actions that have been viewed by scholars and the public as racist or sympathetic to white supremacy. Journalists, friends, family, and former employees have accus ...
*
Rhetoric of Donald Trump
The rhetoric of Donald Trump, the List of presidents of the United States, 45th and 47th president of the United States, is widely recognized for its unique Populism, populist, Nationalism, nationalistic, and confrontational style, which has b ...
*
Views of Elon Musk
*
Weaponization of antisemitism
The exploitation of accusations of antisemitism, especially to counter anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel, is sometimes called weaponization of antisemitism. Claims of weaponizing antisemitism have arisen in various contexts, including the Ar ...
*
Zionist antisemitism
References
External links
Donald Trump Continues His Long History of Pushing Antisemitic Tropes Democrats.orgDonald Trump Is Fueling Antisemitism , Opinion Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
If the ADL thinks Trump’s thuggery is protecting Jews, it’s wrong , Opinion Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
Donald Trump’s Anti-Semitic Obsession With Jews Talking Points Memo
''Talking Points Memo'' (''TPM'') is a liberal political news and opinion blog created and run by Josh Marshall that debuted on November 12, 2000. The name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to a "talking points memo" that was often discussed duri ...
{{Donald Trump
Antisemitism in the United States
Definition of antisemitism controversy
Donald Trump controversies
Articles containing video clips
Philosemitism
Right-wing antisemitism
Views of Judaism by individual
Zionism and antisemitism
Zionism in the United States