Washington — Former President Donald Trump condemned antisemitism on Thursday, hours after an explosive CNN story revealed that one of his associates running for North Carolina governor made a series of racial and sexual remarks on a website, referring to himself as a “black NAZI.”
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson pledged to remain in the race despite the report, and the Trump campaign appeared to distance itself from the candidate while still describing the battleground state as critical to regaining the White House. Trump has regularly expressed his support for Robinson, who has been regarded as a rising star in his party despite a history of provocative comments on race and abortion.
Trump made no mention of the charges during his Thursday speeches to a group of Jewish benefactors and the Israeli-American Council in Washington. His campaign stated the CNN story that did not identify Robinson, instead claiming that Trump “is focused on winning the White House and saving this country” and that North Carolina was a “vital part of that plan.”
Robinson’s reported remarks, including a 2012 statement in which he said he preferred Adolf Hitler to the leadership in Washington, contradicted Trump’s condemnations of antisemitism in Washington and his claim that Democratic nominee Kamala Harris sympathized with Israel’s enemies. The report might also jeopardize Trump’s prospects of winning North Carolina, a key battleground state, with Robinson already trailing his Democratic opponent in public polls.
Trump Vows To Be ‘Best Friend’ To Jewish Americans, As Allegations Of Ally’s Antisemitism Surface
“This narrative isn’t about the North Carolina governor’s campaign. “It’s about the presidential race,” said Paul Shumaker, a Republican pollster who previously worked for Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., warning that Trump may lose a state he won in 2016 and 2020.
“The question is going to be, does Mark Robinson cost Donald Trump the White House?” Shumaker added.
After the charges against Robinson surfaced, Ammar Moussa, a Harris campaign spokeswoman, uploaded a photo of Trump and the struggling candidate on social media. “Donald Trump has a Mark Robinson problem,” he stated in an email.
The North Carolina Republican Party issued a statement defending Robinson, stating that he “categorically denied the allegations made by CNN, but that won’t stop the Left from trying to demonise him via personal attacks.”
Trump has sought to make gains among Black voters, frequently aligning himself with Robinson on the campaign trail, which has increasingly carried him to North Carolina. At a demonstration in Greensboro, he dubbed Robinson “Martin Luther King on steroids” in reference to the civil rights leader’s speaking abilities.
Robinson has been campaigning with Trump as recently as last month, when he appeared with the Republican nominee at an event in Asheboro, North Carolina.
Recent polls of North Carolina voters show Trump and Harris in a tight contest. The same surveys show Democrat Josh Stein leading Robinson by about ten points.
Trump recaps his White House record to Jewish supporters.
Both Trump and Harris, the Democratic nominee, were making appearances designed to energise their core supporters, with Harris taking part in a webcast with Oprah Winfrey.
Trump arrived on Thursday alongside Miriam Adelson, the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks co-owner and widow of wealthy casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson.
“My promise to Jewish Americans is this: With your vote, I will be your defender, protector, and the best friend Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House,” Trump declared at a donor event in Washington themed “Fighting Anti-Semitism in America.”
“But, in all fairness, I already am,” Trump said.
Trump has also faced criticism for his association with antisemitic extremists such as far-right activist Nick Fuentes and rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. When former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke endorsed Trump in 2016, Trump told CNN that he knew “nothing about David Duke, I know nothing about white supremacists.”
However, during his four years in office, Trump accepted a number of policy changes long sought by Israel supporters, including transferring the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognising Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights.
In his remarks, Trump chastised Harris for the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as what he called antisemitic rallies on college campuses and elsewhere.
“Kamala Harris has accomplished nothing. “She has not lifted a single finger to protect you or your children,” Trump claimed. He also reiterated a talking point: Jewish voters who vote for Democrats “should have their heads examined.”
Several guests at the event stated they were unfamiliar with Robinson’s story or declined to discuss it. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a conservative North Carolina Republican who was asked about the CNN article beforehand, declined to take questions.
Later Thursday, Trump addressed at the Israeli-American Council National Summit to honour the victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, predicting a bleak future for the country if Harris is elected.
Trump Vows To Be ‘Best Friend’ To Jewish Americans, As Allegations Of Ally’s Antisemitism Surface
“Israel will not exist within two years if she becomes president,” he told the audience, adding that if he loses the presidential election to her on Nov. 5, “the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that.”
Liberals who want a ceasefire deny Harris their endorsement.
On Thursday, Harris received pressure from some members of her leftist constituency over the war. Leaders of the Democratic protest vote organisation “Uncommitted” announced that the group will not endorse Harris for president, but urged followers to vote against Trump. The group, which opposes the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, has demanded an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and an end to US arms deliveries to Israel.
“Uncommitted” received hundreds of thousands of votes in this year’s Democratic primary, highlighting a schism within the party. The group has warned that some Democratic voters may stay home in November, particularly in Michigan.
Harris’ campaign did not directly respond to the group’s announcement, but did say in a statement that she will “continue working to bring the war in Gaza to an end in a way where Israel is secure, hostages are released, suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.”
SOURCE | AP
