RNC, Trump release video contrasting GOP and Biden on antisemitism
EXCLUSIVE — The Republican National Committee, former President Donald Trump‘s campaign, and the Republican Jewish Coalition released a new video Monday comparing Trump and President Joe Biden‘s handling of rising antisemitism across the nation.
The video, first shared with the Washington Examiner, comes on the same day as Holocaust Remembrance Day and one day before the seven-month anniversary of the Oct. 7 surprise Hamas attack against Israel, which killed over 1,200 people.
“Joe Biden’s weakness is on display for all the world to see as he refuses to condemn the antisemitic violence on college campuses and continues to backtrack on his support for Israel,” said RNC chairman Michael Whatley, in a statement. “As chaos envelopes the world, this is no time for ambiguity — we need President Donald J. Trump back in office to restore order, support our critical ally, Israel, and bring peace through strength once more.”
The nearly 90-second video directly references the pro-Palestinian college protests that have captured national attention. Protesters are pushing for universities to divest from Israel.
But at times, the encampments that have been set up on campuses across the nation have led to violent encounters with law enforcement.
“I understand their passion,” and “they have a point,” Biden says in the video as clips are shown of reporters questioning his administration’s response to the protests.
In contrast, Trump is shown visiting the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism, in 2017 with then-first lady Melania Trump and pledging to confront antisemitism. The historic visit was the first time a U.S. president had visited the Old City of Jerusalem.
“When I get back into office, I will put every single university and college president on notice. The American taxpayer will not subsidize the creation of terrorist sympathizers on American soil,” Trump says in the video. “I will defend our friend and ally, the state of Israel, like nobody has ever defended it before.”
Biden made a surprise address about the campus protests from the Roosevelt Room at the White House on Thursday.
“Violent protest is not protected. Peaceful protest is,” Biden said. “It’s against the law when violence occurs. Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law.”
The president is set to deliver a keynote address at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual Days of Remembrance ceremony on Capitol Hill Tuesday.
According to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden will discuss “our moral duty to combat the rising scourge of antisemitism” along with the work his administration will take to address antisemitism.
The Trump campaign denounced Biden’s attempts to handle the demonstrations in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
“It took Joe Biden weeks to even talk about the Biden Campus Protests, and he refused to outright condemn the pro-Hamas, pro-genocide mobs and the sad truth is that he needs their votes,” said Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign.
“These violent, antisemitic riots all started because of Joe Biden’s failed foreign policy. He enabled Iran, which led to the war in Israel,” Leavitt continued. “Joe Biden’s weakness and failure is why chaos is breaking out across our country and all over the world. Americans can rest secure in the fact that on day one, President Trump will restore peace through strength abroad, and demand law and order at home.”
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Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, cited rising antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment as reasons why the Jewish community “needs” Trump reelected.
“The stakes could not be higher. In these dark and dangerous days for the United States and our ally Israel, we know President Trump will boldly lead with moral clarity as he has done before, fighting the scourge of antisemitism and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Jewish state,” Brooks said in a statement.
