Trump has reportedly complained that Jewish people are 'only in it for themselves'
Current and former U.S. officials have recounted that, after phone calls with Jewish lawmakers, President Trump has complained Jews "are only in it for themselves" and stick together, prioritizing an ethnic allegiance over other loyalties, The Washington Post reports.
It's the latest accusation of the president's personal prejudices, and the Post also highlights private moments in which Trump reportedly blamed Black Americans for their struggle for equality and griped about first lady Melania Trump making a trip to Africa.
More than two dozen current and former officials were interviewed, and there were mixed reactions to allegations of racism against Trump. One former White House official said Trump "might be" racist, but probably isn't as bad as "white supremacist" former President Woodrow Wilson, but no one interviewed believes he subscribes to white supremacist or white nationalist ideologies. No sources recalled ever hearing the president utter a racial or ethnic slur while in office, either. Some pointed out that he has made far more offensive comments about women, and others made the case that Trump simply berates everyone, regardless of their race, religion, or position in his cabinet.
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.
Still, one former administration official said, "I think he has a general awareness that one component of his base includes factions that trend" toward white supremacy and white nationalism. Grasping that, he will exploit social divisions that could help him politically, such as condemning national anthem protests in sports. Read more at The Washington Post.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of Christmas
Cartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Inside the house of Assad
The Explainer Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for more than half a century but how did one family achieve and maintain power?
By The Week UK Published
-
Sudoku medium: December 22, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Top Russian general killed in Moscow blast
Speed Read A remote-triggered bomb killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
NATO chief urges Europe to arm against Russia
Speed Read Mark Rutte said Putin wants to 'wipe Ukraine off the map' and might come for other parts of Europe next
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New Syria government takes charge, urging 'stability'
Speed Read The rebel forces that ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad announced an interim government
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
South Korea roiled by short-lived martial law
Speed Read President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law was a 'clear violation of the constitution,' said the opposition parties who have moved to impeach him
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Syrian rebels seize Aleppo in surprise offensive
Speed Read The rebels made gains against President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and reignited Syria's 13-year-old civil war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published