President Trump: Don't Use "Fighting Antisemitism" As A Pretext for your Assault on Democracy

Jewish communal leaders must speak out now against the erosion of constitutional rights, higher education and more being perpetrated in our name.

The storm clouds gathering over American democracy grow darker and more ominous by the day. Core freedoms, rights and institutions that have given Jewish Americans – and so many others – opportunity and security are under threat.

Right before our eyes, Donald Trump and his administration are conducting an all-out assault on the norms of our democracy and against the very existence of critical institutions, programs and services across all sectors of our society.

Among the more visible targets of the Trump assault are institutions of higher education, immigrants and the rule of law – all seen through the MAGA lens as threats to the way of life they hope to force our country back to.

For the Jewish people, education is a core value and the ladder our parents and grandparents climbed to opportunity and success. We identify deeply with the immigrant experience, as nearly every Jewish family in America can tell a story of arrival with nothing and advancement through education. From our own people’s experience, we understand the vital importance of legal protections of minority rights.

At the same time, our community is deeply frightened by the real and troubling rise in antisemitism. We are united in believing this scourge needs to be addressed head-on and reversed through meaningful action.

That is why it is so painful to see the very real fears of Jewish Americans about rising antisemitism being abused by the Trump Administration to advance a nefarious agenda that undercuts key pillars of the Jewish experience – from civil rights to immigration and higher education.

Recent days have seen several particularly troubling developments: Announcements of plans to lay off nearly half of the Department of Education’s workforce, to slash funding to dozens of colleges and the arrest and threatened deportation – without due process – of a student protest leader at Columbia University. These steps are – the administration has made clear – only the tip of the iceberg.

It is incumbent on Jewish Americans and the organizations and leaders who represent us to be at the forefront of vocal resistance to the Trump Administration’s attempts to use the fight against antisemitism as cover for a brutal attack on fundamental pillars of our great country and for putting us on the road to authoritarian rule.

Hedging our bets or remaining silent to curry favor with this regime for short-term gains – as some Jewish organizations may be choosing to do – is unacceptable. Any advantages gained in the short term will be overshadowed by the damage done to American democracy and the danger that lies ahead in such a society for Jews and other vulnerable communities.

To those waiting for the definitive moment to sound the alarm over the threat to our democracy, now is the time. The decline into authoritarianism is a slippery slope – a journey on which the President has now embarked.

It is doubly concerning to see this administration – which is hiring and coddling certifiable antisemites – cynically exploiting the threat of antisemitism for its own political ends

If the Trump Administration were really taking the concerns of the Jewish community seriously, it would implement and build upon the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism that President Biden released in 2023 with input from over 1,000 Jewish stakeholders.

If the President really cared about rising antisemitism, he would admonish those who peddle conspiracy theories on pro-Trump platforms instead of hiring them at DOGE, the Pentagon, and other agencies – and stop parroting those bigoted theories himself.

If he cared about enforcing the laws, he would invest in the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights instead of suspending thousands of cases that include antisemitic incidents. And he wouldn’t misappropriate Jewish culture or the Hebrew language for cheap political stunts.

No, the Trump Administration has made its political priorities abundantly clear, and everything else – from Jewish safety to our democratic norms and institutions – is taking a back seat.

So we, the American Jewish community, must call out this upside-down world in which we find ourselves. A world in which the antisemitism of Christian Zionists is overlooked because of their support of Israel. A world in which the racism and bigotry of white nationalists and antisemites are excused when they support the politics of a far-right Israeli government. A world in which, under the guise of fighting antisemitism, the Trump Administration is pursuing policies that will make Jews less safe.

So J Street says to our fellow Jewish organizations: As we unite to battle against antisemitism, let’s also stand together for American democracy. Let’s stand up for higher education. Let’s stand for the rule of law and constitutional protections for speech and due process. And let’s make crystal clear that there must be no place for antisemites and racists in any United States administration.