Jewish Protester Removed From Donald Trump Jr Iowa Speech After Shouting: 'More Jews Are Being Gunned Down Every Year'
A press conference for President Donald Trump's re-election campaign was interrupted Monday by a Jewish American activist, who blamed the president for rising anti-Semitic sentiment and violence in the U.S.
The event, held in Des Moines Iowa, was interrupted as Donald Trump Jr.—the president's eldest son—was at the podium speaking.
Video of the event showed the activist—Elon Glickman, an organizer for the progressive Jewish American group IfNotNow—being bustled out of the room by security as he shouted at Donald Jr. and his brother Eric on stage.
As Donald Jr. was mocking 2020 Democratic hopeful Mike Bloomberg, Glickman stood and began shouting, "I'm an American Jew and ever since your father was elected president, more and more Jews are being gunned down every year."
Audience members began heckling the activist and Donald Jr. responded, "I don't think anyone's done more for Israel and American Jews than Donald Trump," a claim regularly made by the president and his close aides and senior officials.
As he was dragged away, Glickman addressed all attendees, shouting: "All of you in here are killing Jews, all of you."
Glickman later posted messages on Twitter explaining his actions and condemning the Trump administration's record on anti-Semitism. "They can drag me out but I'll never stop fighting for Jewish people," he wrote.
"@donaldjtrumpJr spreads antisemitic conspiracy theories that are killing American Jews. He & @GOP can't hide their antisemitism behind support for Israel," he added. "Jews are rising up to fight white nationalists."
Though Glickman did not specify which conspiracies he was referring to, Donald Jr. has propagated anti-Semitic theories about Hungarian-born Jewish billionaire George Soros, who has become a bogeyman for the global right.
During the recent House impeachment probe, for example, Donald Jr. dismissed House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff—who is Jewish—as "hand-picked and supported by George Soros."
The president has regularly cast himself as a staunch ally of the American Jewish population, citing his unquestioning support for the right-wing Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump has also accused Democratic opponents of anti-Semitism for criticizing Israeli policy towards Palestinians, Netanyahu's nationalist politics and the influence of the pro-Israel lobby in the U.S.
Netanyahu's government and pro-Israel groups have praised the president for his close support, which has included moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. His government also recognized Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights and dropped U.S. opposition to Israeli settlements in the Palestinian West Bank—both of which are considered illegal under international law.
Last month, the Trump administration released its long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, which suggested support for Israeli annexation of key areas in the Palestinian West Bank.
But Trump has himself been accused of using anti-Semitic rhetoric. In December, for example, the president spoke to the Israeli American Council and said "a lot" of the attendees "are in the real estate business" and "are brutal killers, not nice people at all."
The president has also criticized Jewish Americans that support the Democrats, suggesting they are disloyal Jews—a historic anti-Semitic trope—for not backing the far-right administrations in the U.S. and Israel.
