Jews Denounce Trump For Shifting Blame Away From Neo-Nazis And White Supremacists

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By Dave Goldiner August 15, 2017

Jewish leaders quickly denounced President Trump for blaming counter-demonstrators along with neo-Nazis and white supremacists for the racist violence that erupted in Charlottesville.

“As a Jew, as an American, as a human, words cannot express my disgust and disappointment,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) tweeted. “This is not my President.”]

Anti=Defamation League National Director Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement he is “profoundly disturbed” by Trump, whom Greenblatt said “went beyond the pale today in equating racist white supremacists in Charlottesville with counter protesters who were there to stand up against hate.”

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-New York), who represents the most heavily Jewish district in the House of Representatives said Trump showed his true colors by refusing to shifting the blame away from the white supremacists who sparked the deadly violence.

When @realDonaldTrump says “us” he shows which side he associates, endorses + surrounds himself with: white nationalists, KKK, neo-Nazis. https://t.co/my2ro97ZNS

— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) August 15, 2017

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said “good and great presidents” sought to unite Americans in times of trouble. He said Trump’s response to Charlottesville put him in another category.

Joining several other Republicans, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida) also loudly denounced Trump, for saying the “alt-left” who resisted the white supremacists were equally to blame as the racists themselves.

Blaming “both sides” for #Charlottesville?! No. Back to relativism when dealing with KKK, Nazi sympathizers, white supremacists? Just no.

— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) August 15, 2017

Dave Goldiner is the Forward’s director of digital media. Dave is a veteran journalist who has spent two decades working at newspapers in the United States and Africa. A native New Yorker, Goldiner wrote for the New York Daily News, where he covered some of the biggest stories of our time, including the attacks of September 11, along with thousands of stories of hope and heartbreak. He also studied and worked in Southern Africa and has written for publications in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He holds masters degrees in journalism and public administration from Columbia University. Dave can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter @davegoldiner

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