GOP Antisemitism Exposed
For far too long, we’ve watched Republican Party leaders, including President Trump, use antisemitic rhetoric, embolden antisemites and extremists, and elevate and echo dangerous right-wing conspiracy theorists in the GOP.
Last week, the president of the Heritage Foundation – the leading right-wing think tank and architects of Trump’s now-infamous Project 2025 – defended Tucker Carlson for interviewing Nick Fuentes, who is widely known for Holocaust denial, white supremacy, and other antisemitic views, and called the Hamas attack on October 7 ‘staged.’
While some Republicans have issued condemnations of specific remarks, the GOP, including Donald Trump and party leadership, has repeatedly emboldened antisemites and spread antisemitic dogwhistles and conspiracy theories with impunity.
As JDCA CEO Halie Soifer told Politico:
“If the president himself and Republicans were serious about combating antisemitism, they would condemn it when it emerges in their own ranks. And they do not… There’s a permission structure within the Republican Party, and it comes from the top.”
Donald Trump has failed to condemn the Heritage Foundation for praising the amplification of an antisemitic Holocaust denier. But that should come as no surprise, since Trump hosted Fuentes for dinner at Mar-a-Lago in 2022.
If Republicans truly cared about fighting antisemitism, they would be calling out Donald Trump for his years of emboldening antisemitic extremism.
This latest incident from the Heritage Foundation, where many of Trump’s top advisers and Cabinet have emerged, is not an isolated incident. Republican leaders are increasingly being exposed for their deep-seated hate and antisemitism. In the past few months:
- Paul Ingrassia, a Trump nominee and current White House employee, was exposed for telling other Republicans in a group chat that he “has a Nazi streak.”
- A leaked trove of chats among young Republican leaders revealed praise for Hitler, racist and antisemitic slurs, and white-supremacist slogans.
- A senior advisor to Jack Ciattarelli, the New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate, said Ciattarelli’s campaign isn’t “taking money from Jews.”
- Right-wing extremists and neo-Nazis rapidly spread conspiracies connecting the murder of Charlie Kirk to Jews and Israel.
Republicans cannot proceed as if these were isolated incidents. They represent the deeper rot of their party.
It is not enough for a handful of Republicans to wag their finger in disapproval while they continue to empower Donald Trump and other party leaders who cultivate an environment where antisemitism thrives.
That’s why we at JDCA are calling on our supporters to demand real change – including in our own party – taking the fight against antisemitism to the ballot box, supporting Democrats who share our values.
Tomorrow is Election Day, and later this week, we’ll be hosting political analyst Simon Rosenberg for an event with JDCA members to break down the election results and discuss what comes next for the 2026 midterms. If you are already a member, you have received a link to RSVP. If you aren’t yet a member of JDCA, join today to attend our virtual event and to gain access to more events and opportunities to take action for our values.
In solidarity,
Sam Crystal
Chief of Staff, Jewish Democratic Council of America