Labeling Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) a “Palestinian,” President Donald Trump again sought to conjure a line between American politicians who support various aspects of the Palestinian cause and those who support Israel’s right to fully defend itself against terrorist actors in the region like Hamas.
The case has been made repeatedly that one can support Israel’s self-defense and still lament the plight of Palestinians in Gaza who have lost their homes and livelihoods as Israel’s response to the sadistic October 7 attacks created enormous collateral damage in pursuit of its effort to eradicate Hamas.
Indeed, many Democrats like Schumer and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) — not exactly a member of The Squad — support both humanitarian treatment of Palestinians displaced by the war and Israel’s response to the attacks.
Trump’s declaration today that Schumer is “not Jewish anymore” is an effort to paint Schumer as a “radical leftist” — a Trump favorite phrase — who places his support for Palestinians over his support for Israel and his own heritage.
[Schumer recently objected, on potential First Amendment grounds, to the arrest and detainment of Columbia University campus activist Mahmoud Khalil. Maintaining that he “abhors” Khalil’s positions, Schumer nevertheless insists that the rule of law requires the Trump administration to “articulate any criminal charges or facts that would justify his detention or the initiation of deportation proceedings against him.”]
I abhor many of the opinions and policies that Mahmoud Khalil holds and supports, and have made my criticism of the antisemitic actions at Columbia loudly known. Mr. Khalil is also legal permanent resident here, and his wife, who is 8-months pregnant, is an American citizen.…
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 11, 2025
Some commenters suggested that Schumer’s bar need not be met in order to legally deport Khalil, as seen below.
No such burden exists. If the Secretary of State has evidence that this individual is a threat to national security or is influencing threats, he has the power to deport him!
— Bob McCormick (@bmccormick70) March 12, 2025
Trump characterized the man instead of the argument, saying: “Schumer is a Palestinian as far as I’m concerned. He’s become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore.”
Trump: Schumer is a Palestinian as far as I’m concerned. He’s become a Palestinian. He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore. pic.twitter.com/YyFNLhyTKY
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 12, 2025
The complexity and divisiveness of the issues here run historically deep, and the reactions represent a passionate polarity of opinion.
One MAGA adherent writes: “Khalil is a non-citizen, non-student activist fomenting violent riots and indoctrinating a college campus for a designated foreign terror organization. He called to ‘eradicate Western Civilization,’ and must be deported.”
Khalil is a non-citizen, non-student activist fomenting violent riots and indoctrinating a college campus for a designated foreign terror organization. He called to “eradicate Western Civilization,” and must be deported.
— Dominique (@mousecrackers) March 11, 2025
While former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance argues that Khalil’s detainment is “not an attempt to protect Jewish Americans from antisemitism. That is a complicated problem that requires education and a long-term commitment. If they were actually concerned about it, Trump’s white supremacist, pro-Nazi supporters, including the guy who threw a couple of Nazi salutes recently would meet a similar fate.”
[NOTE: A recent Gallup poll revealed “about three-quarters of Democrats, 76%, are in favor” of an independent Palestinian state, “compared with 53% of independents. While 41% of Republicans support a Palestinian state, 49% are opposed.”]
Observers were reminded of Trump’s campaign assertion in September 2024 when he said “Anybody who’s Jewish and loves being Jewish and loves Israel is a fool if they vote for a Democrat.” He told Jewish Americans planning to vote for Kamala Harris that “you should have your head examined.”
When he was President in 2019, Trump said at the White House: “In my opinion, you vote for a Democrat, you’re being very disloyal to Jewish people, and you’re being very disloyal to Israel, and only weak people would say anything other than that.”
Accusing Jewish Americans, especially those in New York, of insufficient support for Israel — and of being less than adequately Jewish — is something Trump has done often. Last year, recounting a 2015 campaign trip to Iowa, Trump said of Iowa Christians: “They love Israel. I hate to say it, sometimes they love Israel much more than Jewish people in New York love Israel.”