Jerry Nadler on Trump's university attacks: 'He doesn't give a damn about antisemitism'

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Sat 5 Apr 2025 06.00 EDT
Last modified on Sat 5 Apr 2025 06.03 EDT


Jerry Nadler, the most senior Jewish member of the House of Representatives, has accused Donald Trump of being a “would-be dictator” who is cynically exploiting the fight against antisemitism as a ruse to stamp his will on top-flight universities. In an interview with the Guardian, the New York congressman lashed out against the president for using genuine dangers confronting American Jews as a guise to justify his attacks on Columbia, Harvard and other universities.

“Trump obviously doesn’t give a damn about antisemitism, this is just an expression of his authoritarianism,” he said. Nadler’s broadside came as the Trump administration is stepping up its attack on Ivy League and other universities in an unprecedented challenge to academic independence.

This week $210m in research grants to Princeton University were suspended by the energy and defense departments and NASA, under the mantle of a federal investigation into “antisemitic harassment”. Days earlier, the Trump administration announced it would review $9bn in federal contracts and grants to Harvard University. Another $500m of federal funds to Brown University are reportedly under threat.

The latest assaults on the Ivy League follow the cancellation of $400m in federal money to Columbia University in New York. At least 60 other universities have been warned by the administration that they face similar punishment. Earlier this week Nadler released a sternly-worded statement denouncing the attacks. He said the president was “weaponizing the real pain American Jews face to advance his desire to wield control over truth-seeking academic institutions”.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/05/jerry-nadler-trump-antisemitism

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Link to Rep. Nadler PRESS RELEASE - NADLER CONDEMNS TRUMP'S CONTINUED ASSAULT ON HIGHER EDUCATION

As I have posted before, this is outright insidious and craven and others need to call it out as a setup to "divide and conquer" and "blame the Jews". Nadler's press release has this -

Once again, the President is weaponizing the real pain American Jews face to advance his desire to wield control over the truth-seeking academic institutions that stand as a bulwark against authoritarianism

What WAS antisemitic was the pardoning of all those "Jews will not replace us" fuckers like the members of the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and Patriot Front who participated in the J6 insurrection.

[Evolve Dammit]

1. Spot on article and comments. Rec

[no_hypocrisy]

2. IMO, it seems that by reneging on monies promised to universities,

TSF is increasing the prevalence of antisemitism. Students have eyes, ears, and working brains and can observe no such degree of antisemitism as charged. (OTOH, there are some that are not critical thinkers). And instead of taking it out on TSF, their ire for loss of funds could easily be directed at Jews, as they would see them as the cause of the loss of funds.

And TSF is dividing Jews into "good Jews" and "bad Jews". The "good Jews" support TSF b/c of his support for Israel. The "bad" ones are those who don't endorse TSF. This creates an unnecessary and perhaps toxic schism between Jews.

[Irish_Dem]

3. It is about power, control, punishment. Get control of the universities.

The attorneys, colleges, congress, judges, CEOs.

Own it all.

[Norrrm]

4. Trump's republicans support Hamas' policy of killing more Jews.

Trump's republicans support Hamas' policy of killing more Jews.

[Norrrm]

5. and that Trump's election has "emboldened" him and the members of his own Nazi group. "

" Michael Von Kotch, a Pennsylvania resident who called himself a Nazi, said the rally made him "proud to be white."

He said that he's long held white supremacist views and that Trump's election has "emboldened" him and the members of his own Nazi group. "

https://starherald.com/alleged-driver-of-car-that-plowed-into-charlottesville-crowd-was-a-nazi-sympathizer-former-teacher/article_23a7866c-6dfe-583c-abfa-290190baec47.html

[IronLionZion]

6. MAGA is against education, so this is just a flimsy excuse to screw universities

Jews tend to be in favor of education and peaceful protest

[Montauk6]

7. TSF just hides behind his wealthier son-in-law for street cred

[sakabatou]

8. Of course not.

IIRC, his father was an antisemite himself.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. Same kind of bogus rationale as he used fentanyl to attempt to cover up his tariffs on Canada. . . . nt

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Reich wingers HATE Jews, love the Israeli gov't -- when it's controlled by rightwingers.

Except for "settlers", they don't give a shit about Israeli citizens except as fodder for their complaints against Palestinians.

If only the Palestinians had struck oil and bought billion$$$ in American weaponry, they would be respectable people.

[ToxMarz]

11. I find it incredible at this point that anyone needs to be told

that Trump doesn't really care about (insert topic dujour). If the topic isn't Trump, it's just a given.

[patphil]

12. Trump uses whatever methods are available to achieve his goals of money, power, and control.

They're the only causes he actually champions.
He has no love for anyone else in his heart, just himself.