On CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper on Sunday, Republican Senator Tom Cotton appeared to address recent comments by President Trump concerning the election and Jewish voters. Despite Tapper’s efforts to portray Trump negatively, the Arkansas Republican senator swiftly defended the former president, emphasizing the need for honest context and highlighting that the Democrat Party has faced significant criticism for anti-Semitism during this election cycle.
Tapper played a video clip of Trump from last week where he gave a speech at an event that was about combating anti-Semitism. In his remarks, President Trump said, “the Jewish people would have a lot to do with the loss,” if they don’t vote for him. “Are you comfortable with that?” Tapper asked Cotton.
“Donald Trump has been saying things like this for at least 11 months since the October 7th attack. I think the only reason the Democrats latched onto it this week is they see the polling that reflects Donald Trump winning record high amounts of Jewish voters for Republicans,” Cotton responded. “Joe Biden has not backed Israel very much for the last 11 months. Kamala Harris has been much worse. She treats [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu like a school child as an assistant principal who’s constantly scolding him.”
Tapper jumped in: “I’m talking about Jewish voters who vote for any number of reasons on any number of issues,” to which Cotton responded: “He was talking about combating anti-Semitism, here and around the world. When was the last time Kamala Harris spoke about combating anti-Semitism?” Tapper continued to press Cotton about his stance on Trump’s remarks, however. But the apparent bias in Tapper’s line of questioning overlooked the fact that accusations of anti-Semitism have increasingly been directed at the left, particularly from individuals and groups supporting Hamas.
“Jake, it’s the Democratic party that has a large and growing anti-Semitic wing. That’s the party where anti-Semitism has festered for now for a year,” Cotton responded.
WATCH:
“Are you comfortable with him blaming it on the Jews preemptively?”@jaketapper challenges @SenTomCotton over Trump’s comments that if he loses in November, “the Jewish people would have a lot to do with” it. pic.twitter.com/wtuip7D7Zv
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) September 22, 2024
Since the October 7th attacks, anti-Semitism has been notably associated with elements within the Democrat Party and affiliated organizations. Many colleges saw well-organized protests supporting Hamas, which also fueled anti-Semitic sentiments earlier this year. In July, Harris’s decision to decline to attend Netanyahu’s address to Congress was perceived by some as a significant snub to the Jewish community, reflecting a perceived lack of support and leadership on the issue.
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