On the second night of the Republican National Convention, a member of the Trump campaign's advisory board named Mary Ann Mendoza was scheduled to speak. That same day, Mendoza tweeted that her followers should read a thread containing ancient gutter anti-Semitism — including crack-brained allegations that Jews were conspiring to make "The Goyim Destroy Each Other," and a recommendation to read the notorious anti-Semitic forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. (The thread also contained repeated references to the QAnon conspiracy, suggesting this has become a pipeline to flagrant hatred of Jews.) Mendoza's speaking slot was canceled.
Republicans were no doubt confused as to how someone who would endorse such a virulently anti-Semitic message managed to land a speaking slot at their national convention. It's not like President Trump has suggested that American Jews are all obsessed with money, that their political allegiance can be bought, or that they are not really American citizens. It's not like he has said that neo-Nazi terrorists were "very fine people."
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.
-
Val Kilmer: the actor who played Iceman and BatmanFeature Kilmer died at age 65 from pneumonia
-
Katy Perry, Gayle King visit space on Bezos rocketSpeed Read Six well-known women went into lower orbit for 11 minutes
-
Harvard loses $2.3B after rejecting Trump demandsspeed read The university denied the Trump administration's request for oversight and internal policy changes
-
Why the GOP is nervous about Ken Paxton's Senate runToday's Big Question A MAGA-establishment battle with John Cornyn will be costly
-
Bombs or talks: What's next in the US-Iran showdown?Talking Points US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
-
Are we really getting a government shutdown this time?Talking Points Democrats rebel against budget cuts by Trump, Musk
-
Will Trump lead to more or fewer nuclear weapons in the world?Talking Points He wants denuclearization. But critics worry about proliferation.
-
Why Trump and Musk are shutting down the CFPBTalking Points And what it means for American consumers
-
Are we now in a constitutional crisis?Talking Points Trump and Musk defy Congress and the courts
-
What can Democrats do to oppose Trump?Talking Points The minority party gets off to a 'slow start' in opposition
