Emhoff Blasts Trump's 'Toxic' Remarks on Jews

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff had strong words for Donald Trump Tuesday over the former president's claim that Jews who vote for Democrats hate their religion and hate Israel. "This is a disgusting, toxic, antisemitic thing to say, by anyone, let alone a former president of the United States and it must be condemned," Emhoff said at a campaign event in Nebraska, per Bloomberg.

• Politico describes Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, as "one of the most prominent Jews in the Biden administration" and a "de-facto envoy to the Jewish community for the White House."

• Trump made the remarks in an online interview with former White House aide Sebastian Gorka that was published Monday, the New York Times reports. Asked about President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he thought they hated Israel. "Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion," Trump said later in the interview. "They hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed."
• Emhoff tells Bloomberg that he was "outraged" by the president's comments and felt he had to say something. "For Donald Trump to be the judge of what a good Jew is—it is the height of hypocrisy," he says.
• White House spokesman Andrew Bates also condemned Trump's remarks, describing them as "vile and unhinged antisemitic rhetoric," per the Times. "There is no justification for spreading toxic, false stereotypes that threaten fellow citizens," Bates said.

(More Doug Emhoff stories.)