White House criticizes Trump for ‘unhinged antisemitic rhetoric’

The White House has criticized Donald Trump for “vile and unhinged antisemitic rhetoric” after the former president claimed that Jewish people who vote for Democrats “hate Israel” and “hate their religion”.

In an interview on Monday Trump was asked about increased criticism by Democrats of Israel’s military action in Gaza, which has left more than 30,000 Palestinians dead.

“I think they hate Israel. And the Democrat party hates Israel,” Trump said.

He added: “Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed.”

In a statement, the White House spokesman Andrew Bates said:

“President Biden has put his foot down when it comes to vile and unhinged antisemitic rhetoric. As antisemitic crimes and acts of hate have increased across the world – among them the deadliest attack committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust – leaders have an obligation to call hate what it is and bring Americans together against it.”

Bates referenced the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, after which Trump claimed had “very fine people on both sides”.

“Like President Biden said, he was moved to run for President when he saw neo-Nazis chanting ‘the same antisemitic bile that was heard in Germany in the 1930s’ in Charlottesville,” Bates said.

Trump made his comments about Jewish people in an interview with Sebastian Gorka, a former aide. The claims prompted an angry response from Democrats and others.

Kathy Manning, a Democratic congresswoman from North Carolina, told Axios that Trump’s claims were “particularly disgraceful and dangerous at a time when Jews are facing dangerous levels of antisemitism