A new ad from Jewish Democrats compares Trump to Hitler
Screenshot from a digital ad from the Jewish Democratic Council of America PAC, released on Sept. 4, that aligns Donald Trump with Adolf Hitler. Courtesy of JDCA
By Lauren Markoe September 4, 2024
A prominent group of Jewish Democrats released a digital ad Wednesday that compares former President Donald Trump to Hitler.
The ad, part of a $1 million ad buy from the Jewish Democratic Council of America PAC targeting Jewish voters this election cycle, is facing pushback from Republicans who call it unfair and hyperbolic, particularly for invoking Hitler and the Holocaust.
“This is a disgusting ad, developed by an insignificant organization flailing for relevancy,” said Sam Markstein, the Republican Jewish Coalition’s national political director. “JDCA should be ashamed and embarrassed for using Hitler imagery and the Holocaust to try to score cheap political points.”
Releasing the ad, called “Hate Doesn’t Stop Itself,” the JDCA seemed to anticipate the criticism. “The ad does not incorporate imagery from the Holocaust, but makes a clear comparison between Trump’s ambitions and the political conditions that led to the rise of fascism,” it said in a statement. The group’s CEO, Halie Soifer, called the RJC response to the ad hypocritical and the “epitome of a political shanda,” using the Yiddish word for “shame.”
She said the RJC has supported Trump even though he has repeatedly espoused antisemitic tropes. Republican Jews point out that Trump has Jewish family members — his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner and their children. And Trump has called himself the best friend Israel ever had.
A disclaimer at the end of the ad said it is not authorized by any candidate, but the JDCA has endorsed Trump’s Democratic opponent in the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Here’s what to know about the 30-second ad.
What does the ad say?
The ad begins with three clips in rapid succession: Hitler giving a speech, Nazis marching with flags bearing swastikas, and Hitler giving the Nazi salute. A male voice intones: “History shows what happens when leaders use hate to consolidate power.”
Then Trump appears in a video clip from a campaign event saying: “I’m going to be a dictator.”
Over the tense strains of a violin, more video clips of Hitler and Trump follow with the voiceover: “Donald Trump praises dictators.” A headline from a 2021 Guardian article appears on screen: “Trump told chief of staff: ‘Hitler did a lot of good things,’ book says.”
The voiceover continues: “Donald Trump praises dictators and follows their playbook while he politicizes religion and incites hatred toward Jews.” A headline appears on screen from Rolling Stone: “Trump, Radio Host Attack Second Gentleman as ‘Crappy Jew.’”
Then the ad cuts to Trump speaking: “Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion.”
The ad goes on to call out Republicans for curtailing abortion rights and weakening democracy. It ends: “The time to stand up to hate and fascism is now.” The screen goes mostly black, with the words “VOTE, before it’s too late.”
Who is the target audience?
The ad, which will run online on social media and “connected TV platforms,” targets Jewish voters in some but not all swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
It does not target voters in Ohio, another battleground state, though JDCA has sponsored other ads in that state.
Why is the ad controversial?
Jewish groups such as the Anti-Defamation League often call out politicians and others for making comparisons to Hitler and the Holocaust.
As the ADL advises on its website: “Such references are outrageous and may be profoundly hurtful to Jews, many of whom lost family members or carry memories of the trauma suffered by their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents during the destruction of European Jewry.”
The JDCA statement announcing the new ad said it demonstrates “the parallels between the rise of Donald Trump’s MAGA movement and Nazism, as well as Donald Trump’s use of hate speech and alignment with dictators.”
The announcement also quotes Soifer, a former national security adviser to Harris, when the vice president was a senator.
“Donald Trump is an antisemite. He has repeatedly disparaged the vast majority of American Jews and continues to denigrate millions of Jewish voters,” Soifer said. “He aspires to be a dictator and has echoed Adolf Hilter, whom he reportedly said ‘did some good things.’ He has blatantly refused to condemn white supremacy, aligned with neo-Nazis, and instructed his Christian supporters that they’ll only have to vote this once and never again.”
What is the JDCA?
The Jewish Democratic Council of America was founded in 2017 after the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville. It endorses Democratic candidates that share its generally liberal views — including support for abortion rights, gun control, environmental protection and LGBTQ+ rights — and democracy in the U.S. and Israel.
Its PAC has released about 50 videos since 2020, targeting races where the Jewish vote — 2% of the electorate nationally — may make a difference.
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