Jewish Talk Show Host Promotes ‘White Genocide’ Theory

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By Sam Kestenbaum February 2, 2018

Michael Savage, a nationally syndicated conservative radio host, is promoting the popular white nationalist trope that there is an ongoing and intentional “cultural genocide” being carried out against the “white race.”

On Monday, Savage spent his entire show on the topic, the Southern Poverty Law Center noted in a blog post.

“White supremacists typically accuse Jewish people of engineering this plot,” the SPLC wrote.

But Savage, who is Jewish himself, instead blames Democrats.

“Unless we stand up to the racists and the genocidal maniacs who are attacking, attacking, attacking,” Savage said, “there will be nothing left to protect, there will be nothing left to save. Everything of our culture will be gone.”

This comes in response to a speech at the United States Conference of Mayors, during which House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said the White House’s immigration policies were a “campaign to make America white again.”

Savage is an unusual right-wing media personality — he is the child of Jewish immigrants from Russia and once befriended the poet Allen Ginsburg — who is best now known for making incendiary comments. He has been an enthusiastic backer of President Trump and is the author of the new book “Trump’s War: His Battle for America.”

Email Sam Kestenbaum at kestenbaum@forward.com

Sam Kestenbaum is a contributing editor and former staff writer for the Forward. Before this, he worked for The New York Times and newsrooms in Sana, Ramallah and Beijing. Contact him at kestenbaum@forward.com and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum and on Instagram at @skestenbaum.

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