Donald Trump’s Tweet Called Anti-Semitic, Too Offensive To Stay Online
Donald Trump’s Twitter account has always sent out controversial material, but it’s pretty rare for the presidential candidate to delete a post. He recently crossed the line with a tweet that some are calling anti-Semitic.
According to CNN, Trump deleted the offending tweet on Saturday after receiving an avalanche of complaints. Naturally, few things on a popular Twitter account can be truly deleted.
lol pic.twitter.com/tlAJfsOhef
— andrew kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) July 2, 2016
The controversy surrounded the dollar bills and the six-pointed star, similar to the Star of David. The tweet also featured the phrase “the most corrupt candidate ever.”
After deleting the tweet, Trump’s campaign team edited the image and replaced the star with a circle. Donald Trump did not respond to the controversy.
Throughout the GOP candidate’s campaign, he has said that he will strengthen the U.S. relationship with Israel. During his speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an influential lobbying group that advocates for pro-Israel policies, Trump promised to “dismantle” Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, saying that America should not be rewarding the “world’s leading state sponsor of terror.”
The speech received enormous applause, even a standing ovation, but, according to Foreign Policy Magazine, the AIPAC leadership came onstage the following day to rebuke the GOP candidate’s talk, saying they do not condone “ad hominem attacks” against President Obama. They also scolded the audience, saying “we are disappointed that so many people applauded a sentiment that we neither agree with nor condone.”
Donald Trump’s tweet seems to have further complicated the candidate’s relationship with the American Jewish population.
Abe Foxman, the director emeritus of the Anti-Defamation League, said that the tweet was insensitive, but does not believe it was intentionally malicious. He was also happy they were so quick to take it down.
“They realized it was edgy and could be abused. I’m not sure the intentions were there but there was certainly a lack of sensitivity.”
Still, Foxman has concerns about Donald Trump’s hesitancy when calling out bigotry, saying “I think it’s incumbent on someone who wants to run this country to take the time out and distance and condemn it.”
Donald Trump did immediately rebuke a man at one of his campaign rallies who said “Zionist Israel.” Trump’s daughter is an observant Jew who converted after her marriage to Jared Kushner. The GOP candidate now has three Jewish grandchildren.
Other critics were not as forgiving, including political blogger Erick Erickson.
A Star of David, a pile of cash, and suggestions of corruption. Donald Trump again plays to the white supremacists. https://t.co/sEvSs6zX8P
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) July 2, 2016
Liberal pundit Alan Colmes also took on the controversial tweet.
Trump’s disgusting Star of David Clinton tweet appeals to anti-Semites https://t.co/pgoWBaHrJ1 #p2
— Alan Colmes (@AlanColmes) July 2, 2016
Donald Trump is no stranger to Twitter criticism. A number of his past tweets have also received condemnation, including one that said “If Hillary Clinton can’t satisfy her husband what makes her think that she can satisfy America.” That tweet was deleted, too.
Other tweets have said that energy-efficient light bulbs are causing cancer, claimed that there are many cases where vaccines lead to autism, and ripped nearly every one of the candidate’s Republican primary opponents. Most of those remain on the Twitter feed.
The meeting had critics crying foul, alleging that the former president was attempting to affect the investigation. It was a suspicion Donald Trump was quick to jump on, using tweets saying the system is “rigged.”
[Photo by Marc Piscotty/Getty Images]
