The Hill: Jewish Democratic Council compares Trump’s America to 1930s Germany in new ad
By Rebecca Klar
The Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) compared President Trump’s America to the rise of fascism and anti-Semitism in 1930s Germany in a new ad targeting Jewish voters in swing states.
The 30-second ad released Tuesday includes images and video footage from Nazi Germany in a split-screen with images and photos of Trump rallies in addition to examples of anti-Semitism and white supremacy in the U.S. since Trump took office.
“History shows us what happens when leaders use hatred and nationalism to divide their people,” the narrator says.
“As anti-Semitism and white nationalism rise to dangerous levels in America, we are all less secure. It’s time to show that we’ve learned from the darkest moments in history. Hate doesn’t stop itself. It must be stopped. Vote — our future depends on it.”
The ad will target Jewish voters in states including Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania, according to the JDCA.
Trump won all three states in 2016, but recent polls have shown the president trailing Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the battleground states.
The ad includes clips from the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 that resulted in a death and injuries after a man attending the rally rammed his car into a group of counterprotesters. After the incident, Trump said there were “very fine people on both sides.”
The ad also includes images of memorials outside the Tree of Life, or L’Simcha, temple in Pittsburgh, where 11 people were killed and six were wounded in a shooting in 2018.
“A majority of American Jews feel less safe today than they did four years ago due to the rise of white nationalism and anti-Semitism under Donald Trump,” JDCA Executive Director Halie Soifer said in a statement.
“This, coupled with Trump’s assault on our democratic institutions, are reminiscent of the rise of fascism in 1930s Germany. President Trump’s use of hatred for political purposes has made America less safe for Jews and we are voting accordingly.”
Anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. in 2019 occurred at the highest rate in the last 40 years, according to a report released by the Anti-Defamation League in May.
In response to the JDCA ad, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign sent The Hill a similar statement it released in response to criticism from Biden’s campaign last week over reported anti-Semitic comments Trump allegedly made in private.
Trump campaign spokesperson Courtney Parella defended Trump against allegations of fueling anti-Semitism in the U.S. by highlighting the president’s actions toward Israel.
“President Trump is the greatest ally the State of Israel has ever had in the White House,” Parella said in the statement. “As Democrats increase their false attacks against the President, Jewish Americans can see the truth for themselves through the President’s actions to fight against anti-Semitism, sign the historic Abraham Accords doing what no other President was able to do and bring peace to the Middle East, recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and tear up the disastrous Iran nuclear deal from the Obama-Biden administration.”
The JDCA and other left-leaning Jewish groups have condemned Trump in the past. The groups accused the president of fueling anti-Semitism by playing up anti-Semitic tropes that allege Jewish people have a dual loyalty to Israel. The accusations came after he called American Jews who vote for Democrats disloyal last year.
He made similar remarks again on a call with Jewish leaders earlier this month questioning why he did not win most of the Jewish vote since his son-in-law, daughter and grandchildren are Jewish. He also reportedly told the American Jewish leaders on the call, “We really appreciate you, we love your country also and thank you very much.”