Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chair Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump, railed against the gag order placed on the presumptive GOP nominee during his trial in Manhattan. Protesting the gag, the RNC co-chair doubled down on the MAGA narrative that Trump is a martyr to a cause bigger than himself.
(Trump faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business documents to cover up payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.)
Characterizing the gag order as an infringement on Trump’s free speech — rather than as an attempt to protect the integrity of the proceedings by preventing intimidation by the defendant — Ms. Trump said during an appearance on Fox News:
“I think anyone who looks at this and can sleep at night knowing this is happening in America better get serious. Donald Trump has said this is much bigger than him, this is about standing up for the United States Constitution.”
Ms. Trump added about her father-in-law: “He has said, ‘If not me then who, if not now then when?’” She added, “If he does not stand up for himself as an American citizen, then we’re all done.”
Lara Trump: Anyone who looks at this and can sleep at night, better get serious. Trump has said.. this is about standing up for the constitution. He has said, “If not me, who, if not now, when?” pic.twitter.com/KHoNbA6pNF
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 7, 2024
During the first century BCE, Jewish sage and leader Hillel the Elder said: “If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?”
[Hillel the Elder was “known for his emphasis on ethical and moral teachings, particularly his focus on the importance of compassion, humility, and social justice.” The quote “implies that one should strive for a balance between caring for oneself and caring for others.”]
Note: Hollywood movie star Emma Watson incorporated the quote into her address at the United Nations in 2014 in support of her HeForShe gender-equality initiative. Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump (who converted to Judaism before marrying Jared Kushner) was later criticized for appearing to misattribute the quote as having originated with Watson (see below).
In 2017, Glamour magazine wrote about Ivanka Trump’s alleged misattribution and suggested that “the first daughter might need to work on her social media strategy—and pass the message along to her dad while she’s at it.”
Trump, if he did quote Hillel as Lara Trump attests, would not be the first American politician to do so. John F. Kennedy and civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis also used a version of the phrase “if not now, when?” to signify the importance of a moment in history.
Note: In 2022, former President Trump hosted white nationalist and alleged anti-Semite Nick Fuentes at his Mar-a-Lago resort with Kanye West who also famously repeated antisemitic remarks.
In response, the Biden administration released a statement: “Bigotry, hate, and antisemitism have absolutely no place in America – including at Mar-A-Lago. Holocaust denial is repugnant and dangerous, and it must be forcefully condemned.”