Trump rips ‘Jewish politicians abandoning Israel’ as NYPD clears Columbia campus of pro-terror protesters
Former President Donald Trump railed Tuesday night against Jewish lawmakers whom he accused of “abandoning” Israel as the New York Police Department cleared Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall of a pro-terror mob.
Trump, 77, dialed into Fox News’ “Hannity” during live coverage of the NYPD operation and pronounced: “I’m watching Jewish politicians abandon Israel.
“And I have seen it and you have seen it. Where is [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer? Why isn’t Schumer speaking up?” asked the former president and presumptive 2024 GOP nominee.
“Because he’s looking at votes, I guess. And I guess he’s looking at maybe more votes than represent Israel, but that has nothing to do with it. You have to stop this war on terrorists.”
NYC Mayor Eric Adams told reporters Wednesday morning that 109 people had been arrested at Columbia overnight, though it was unclear how many of that number had been taken out of Hamilton Hall.
Schumer, 73, the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in the US, denounced the protests Tuesday afternoon on the Senate floor.
“Smashing windows with hammers and taking over university buildings is not free speech – it is lawlessness, and those who did it should promptly face the consequences that are not merely a slap on the wrist,” he said.
Schumer’s remarks followed needling by several Republicans such as Rockland County Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who accused the Senate Democratic leader Monday of being “unconscionably timid about the antisemitic protests.”
Last month, Schumer publicly called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu an obstacle to peace and urged the US ally to hold a new election as soon as possible once the war against Hamas is finished.
On Tuesday night, Trump suggested to Fox News’ Sean Hannity that the protesters had been “brainwashed” to excuse or deny Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel, which killed an estimated 1,200 people — including 33 Americans.
“A lot of people, people that are out there protesting, they deny October 7 ever happened,” he said. “October 7 did happen. And it was horrible and violent and disgraceful. And it’s got to be stopped. You can’t have a thing like that.
“And when you have people out there protesting and they’re denying that October 7 ever took place … In a certain way, I really believe they are brainwashed, because you look at some of the comments. They say none of this stuff happened.”
Later in the interview, Trump once again warned Israel to wrap up operations against Hamas sooner rather than later, saying that “what’s happening in Israel right now is really not sustainable either.
“We have to let Israel complete their war on terror,” he said. “It’s a horrible thing, but they have to do it, and they have to do it fast, and we have to get back to order. And people have to respect law and order in this country.”
A Schumer spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
