Norman Lear called out Trump Tuesday for his “appalling” words about American Jews, noting that the phrase “a horse’s ass” came to mind.
“Today, having recently turned 100, I read Donald Trump’s appalling words about American Jews, and I am nine years old again,” the famed producer wrote on Twitter, referring to anti-semitic radio program he listened to as a child prior to WWII. ‘The phrase, a horse’s ass, was an everyday expression when I was nine and it occurs to me again now.”
Lear’s comments follow Trump’s most recent Truth Social tirade, in which he singled out Jews living in the U.S. to “get their act together” and be appreciative of what Trump has done for Israel, referencing the anti-semitic trope that American Jews hold loyalty to both the U.S. and Israel.
“No President has done more for Israel than I have,” the former president wrote Sunday on the social media platform owned by his media group. “Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S. Those living in Israel, though, are a different story – Highest approval rating in the World, could easily be P.M.! U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel – Before it is too late!”
Lear responded to Trump’s hateful comments by recalling a poignant memory from his childhood of Father Coughlin, a Catholic priest who frequently used radio broadcasts to spread Pro-Nazi beliefs within his religious commentary.
“I was 9 years old when my dad was found to have committed fraud & was sent to prison for a few years,” Lear tweeted. “Alone in bed one night, my father away, I was playing with a crystal set radio and came across the vicious antisemitic voice of Father Coughlin railing against American Jews.”
“I’m confident that that horrifying moment resulted in my early enlistment in WWII and the 52 combat missions over Nazi Germany that followed,” he continued before explaining that Trump’s recent words took him back to that painful moment before WWII had begun.
On Monday, the White House denounced Trump’s comments as antisemitic as well as “insulting, both to Jews and to our Israeli allies,” according to ABC News.
“But let’s be clear for years, for years now, Donald Trump has aligned with extremist and antisemitic figures,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “We need to root out antisemitism everywhere it rears its ugly head. We need to call this out.”
