Donald Trump pledges to be ‘best friend’ to American Jews as accusations of anti-Semitism against ally emerge

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump on Thursday condemned anti-Semitism hours after CNN’s explosive report detailed how one of his allies, a candidate for governor of North Carolina, posted a series of racist and sexually explicit comments on a website where he also referred to himself as a “black NAZI.”

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson vowed to stay in the race despite the reports, and Trump’s campaign appeared to distance itself from the candidate while calling the battleground state an indispensable part of retaking the White House. Trump has frequently voiced his support for Robinson, who was considered a rising star in his party despite a history of inflammatory remarks on race and abortion.

Trump did not comment on the allegations during speeches Thursday to a group of Jewish donors and the Israeli-American Council in Washington. His campaign issued a statement on the CNN story that did not mention Robinson, saying instead that Trump is “focused on winning the White House and saving this country” and that North Carolina was “a vital part of that plan.”

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Robinson’s reported remarks — including a 2012 comment in which he said he preferred Adolf Hitler to leadership in Washington — clashed with Trump’s condemnations of anti-Semitism in Washington and his claim that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, sympathized with enemies of Israel. The history could also imperil Trump’s chances of winning North Carolina, a key swing state where Robinson already trails his Democratic opponent in public polls.

“This story is not about the North Carolina gubernatorial race. It’s about the presidential race,” said Paul Shumaker, a Republican pollster who worked for Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., warning that Trump could risk losing a state he won in 2016 and 2020.

“The question will be, did Mark Robinson cost Donald Trump the White House?” Shumaker added.

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After the allegations against Robinson came to lithe, Harris campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa reposted a photo of Trump and the troubled candidate on social media. “Donald Trump has a problem with Mark Robinson,” he wrote.

The North Carolina Republican Party issued a statement in support of Robinson, noting that he “has categorically denied the accusations made by CNN, but that won’t stop the left from trying to demonize him with personal attacks.”

Trump has sought to appeal to black voters and has often teamed up with Robinson during the campaign, which has increasingly taken him to North Carolina. At a rally in Greensboro, he called Robinson “Martin Luther King on steroids,” referring to the civil rights leader for his speaking ability.

Robinson accompanied Trump as recently as last month when he appeared with the Republican candidate at an event in Asheboro, North Carolina.

The latest poll of North Carolina voters shows Trump and Harris in a close race. The same poll shows Democrat Josh Stein with about a 10-point lead over Robinson.

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Trump Tells His Jewish Supporters About His Achievements in the White House

Both Trump and Harris, the Democratic candidate, were appearance was intended to spur on her ardent supporters by having Harris appear on a live broadcast with Oprah Winfrey.

Trump appeared Thursday with Miriam Adelson, co-owner of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks and widow of billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.

“My promise to the Jewish people of America is this: Because of your vote, I will be your defender, your protector, and the best friend that Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House,” Trump said at a donor event in Washington titled “Fighting Anti-Semitism in America.”

“But honestly, I already am,” Trump added.

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Trump has also been criticized for his ties to extremists who spread anti-Semitic rhetoric, such as far-right activist Nick Fuentes and rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. And when former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke endorsed Trump in 2016, Trump responded in a CNN interview that he knew “nothing about David Duke, nothing about white supremacists.”

But during his four years in office, Trump has approved a series of policy changes that many Israel supporters have long sought, such as moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognizing Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights.

In his speech, Trump criticized Harris for the Biden administration’s handling of Israel’s war with Hamas, as well as what he called anti-Semitic protests on college campuses and elsewhere.

“Kamala Harris did absolutely nothing. She didn’t lift a finger to protect you or your children,” Trump said, repeating his argument that Jewish voters who vote for Democrats “should have their heads examined.”

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Many at the event said they were unfamiliar with Robinson’s story or declined to discuss it. Representative Virginia Foxx, a conservative Republican from North Carolina who was asked earlier about the CNN report, told reporters she would not take questions.

On Thursday evening, Trump spoke at a summit of the Israel American National Council to honor the victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and outlined a grim future for the country if Harris were elected.

“Israel will cease to exist in two years if she becomes president,” he told the crowd, adding that if he lost the Nov. 5 presidential election to her, “the Jewish people will have a lot to do with that.”

Harris failed to get support from liberals who want a ceasefire

Harris faced pressure from some of her liberal base on Thursday over the war. Leaders of the Democratic protest movement Uncommitted said the group I don’t support Harris for president, but also urged supporters to vote against Trump. The group, which opposes the Biden administration’s handling of Israel’s war with Hamas, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. arms transfers to Israel.

“Uncommitted” drew hundreds of thousands of votes in this year’s Democratic primary, exposing a split in the party. The group warned that some Democratic voters could stay home in November, especially in places like Michigan.

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Harris’ campaign did not directly address the group’s statement, but said in a statement that she “will continue to work to end the war in Gaza in a manner in which Israel is safe, hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.”