Trump's brief Pittsburgh synagogue shooting censure was reportedly crafted by Ivanka and Jared Kushner


President Trump responded to the murder of 11 Jewish congregants in Pittsburgh on Saturday with a forceful condemnation of the "evil anti-Semitic attack" and "the scourge of anti-Semitism." Those solemn remarks — sandwiched in between a suggestion that the Tree of Life synagogue should've had "protection" and a joke about his "bad hair day" — followed "the importuning of his Jewish daughter and son-in-law to craft a powerful statement of outrage at anti-Semitism," The New York Times reports.
After reading the statement, Trump immediately "went back into partisan mode, assailing his enemies," and "by the evening's end he was tweeting about baseball," the Times reports, continuing:
The president has made clear he does not see national harmony as his mission. ... He reads the dutiful words of unity and grief and determination that aides put in front of him, but he refuses to stick to the script. ... Inside the White House, advisers veer between resolve, resignation, and resentment. ... Sometimes they take it upon themselves to do what he will not. Two White House officials, Jason Greenblatt and Avi Berkowitz, traveled to Pittsburgh on Saturday a few hours after the shooting, and were still there on Sunday. Urged on by his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, the president made plans to travel to Pittsburgh this week. [The New York Times]
The White House is right that the accused Pittsburgh synagogue shooter and the "far-right faction with which [he] identifies does oppose Trump as a pro-Jewish sellout, citing such betrayals as his support for Israel and the marriage of his daughter to a Jewish man," Jonathan Chait says at New York, but the shooter "does identify with some of Trump's goals and rhetoric, because Trump has inspired the racist far right to a degree surpassing any modern American president." You can read more about Trump's shooting response and long, complicated "relationship with Judaism" at The New York Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Sweden's Soft Hooligans: the fans who brought 'good vibes' to the Euros
Under the Radar Formed to create a fun fan atmosphere, the Swedish football supporter group has been bringing the party to the championship
-
Crossword: July 18, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Sudoku hard: July 18, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
-
Fed chair Powell in Trump's firing line
Speed Read The president considers removing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell
-
Trump trashes supporters over Epstein files
speed read The president lashed out on social media following criticism of his administration's Jeffrey Epstein investigation
-
Judge nixes wiping medical debt from credit checks
Speed Read Medical debt can now be included in credit reports
-
Grijalva wins Democratic special primary for Arizona
Speed Read She will go up against Republican nominee Daniel Butierez to fill the US House seat her father held until his death earlier this year
-
US inflation jumps as Trump tariffs 'bite'
Speed Read Consumer prices are climbing and the inflation rate rose to its highest level in four months
-
SCOTUS greenlights mass DOE firings
Speed Read The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Education Department
-
Cuomo announces third-party run for NYC mayor
Speed Read He will go up against progressive Democratic powerhouse Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life