Former President Donald Trump in an interview has claimed US vice president Kamala Harris, who is married to a Jewish man, “doesn’t like Jewish people” and seemed to agree with a radio host who called second gentleman Doug Emhoff “a crappy Jew”.
Mr Trump, in an interview on WABC radio on Tuesday, claimed Ms Harris looked uncomfortable while meeting last week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“You can see the disdain,” he said, adding, “Number one, she doesn’t like Israel. Number two, she doesn’t like Jewish people.
“You know it, I know it and everybody knows it and nobody wants to say it.”
Mr Trump has tried to capitalise on divisions in the Democratic Party over the Israel-Hamas war and sought to paint his political opponents as antisemitic while overlooking some of his own past comments and behaviour, such as dining at his Florida club with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist.
With Ms Harris replacing President Joe Biden as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, Mr Trump has escalated his attacks on her.
“America is better than the fear, hate, and despicable insults of Donald Trump,” said James Singer, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign.
“Vice president Harris believes Americans want a president who unites our country instead of divides it, uses the power of the presidency to help families instead of hurt them, and has a vision for our future, instead of taking us backwards.”
In the interview, the Republican former president repeated comments he has made before lashing out at Jewish voters who back Democrats, saying anyone who does “should have their head examined” and “if you’re Jewish, if you vote for a Democrat, you’re a fool, an absolute fool. They have let Jewish people down since Obama at a level that nobody could believe”.
As Mr Trump continued on, he again said of Ms Harris: “She dislikes Jewish people and Israel even more than Biden did.”
The interview host, Sid Rosenberg, then mentioned Ms Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff and said: “He’s Jewish like Bernie Sanders is Jewish. Are you kidding me?”
“Yeah,” Mr Trump said.
“He’s a crappy Jew,” Mr Rosenberg said, continuing.
“Yeah,” Mr Trump said again.
Mr Rosenberg went on, saying of Emhoff: “He’s a horrible Jew.”
They then moved on to criticising Ms Harris on other issues.
Mr Trump made a similar claim about Ms Harris disliking Jewish people on Friday while speaking to a Christian group at a Turning Point USA gathering in Florida.
He has also ignited blowback in the past for making similar remarks about Jewish people, like when he said in March that Jews who vote for Democrats “hate Israel” and hate “their religion”.
Mr Emhoff, the first Jewish person to serve as the spouse of a nationally elected US leader, has been one of the most visible members of the Biden administration speaking about combating antisemitism.
He hung mezuzahs on the doorposts of the vice president’s residence and led Passover celebrations at the White House.
Mr Emhoff’s office declined to comment on Tuesday.
Mr Trump’s campaign has also criticised Mr Emhoff’s adult daughter Ella for posting on her social media account a fundraising link for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.
Israel has sought to ban the group and suggests it supports terrorists.
European leaders have said that is a baseless accusation.
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