Trump Asked ‘Is This a Good Jewish Character Right Here?’ and Called Persians ‘Very Good Salesmen’: Video
Former President Donald Trump is seen asking “Is this a good Jewish character right here” and called Persians “very good salesmen” in new video published and shared widely on Wednesday.
Trump made these comments while being filmed for the documentary “Unprecedented” by Alex Holder, who has come to prominence during the hearings conducted by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol. Holder posted on Twitter the video of Trump making the remarks. Holder had remarkable access to Trump and his people before and after Jan. 6.
Trump meets with a group of Jewish people at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, when he’s told by a woman about “the Jews who didn’t vote for you.” Trump claimed that his approval rating in Israel is “like 94 percent” but in the United States he “got 27, 28 percent” approval among American Jews.
Trump asked if the camera was recording. “Don’t let it roll,” he said. However, the camera kept rolling.
Trump touted his March 2019 recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Moments later, he pointed at someone off-camera and asked, “Is this a good Jewish character right here?” The guy he pointed at says he is and Trump said, “You gotta love Trump.”
After reiterating his popularity in Israel and his popularity amongst Orthodox Jews, Trump mentioned his 2017 commutation of Sholom Rubashkin’s 27-year prison sentence for fraud while running a kosher meatpacking plant in Iowa. Rubashkin ended up serving several years behind bars before being released. Trump incorrectly referred to Rubashkin as a rabbi.
A guy next to Trump mentioned someone else, whose back head is only shown in the clip, whose family is Persian. She said her parents were born in Iran.
“Very smart. Be careful they’re very good salesmen.” The video cuts off at “sale,” but according to New York Times senior political reporter and CNN analyst Maggie Haberman, Trump said “salesmen.” The video was provided to the Times.
Trump has come under fire for making anti-Semitic statements. In a post on Sunday on his social media site Truth Social, Trump parrotted the anti-Semitic trope of dual loyalty when he said that “U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel – Before it is too late!”
Watch above.
(h/t Alex Holder)
