Trump Compares US Antisemitism to Nazi Germany 1938

US President Donald Trump has drawn a parallel between the current level of antisemitism in the United States and conditions in Nazi Germany in 1938. "It's like Germany in 1938, or something like that," Trump stated in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. He expressed astonishment at the extent of racially motivated attacks, noting that he estimates 57 percent of victims are Jewish. However, FBI data indicates a higher proportion, with 63 percent of religiously motivated hate crimes targeting Jewish people in the past year, and 70 percent in 2024. These remarks followed the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938. Trump attributed the rise in US antisemitism partly to his predecessor, Barack Obama, stating it began during his term. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other organizations have documented a rise in antisemitic incidents in the US for over a decade, a trend that continued through Trump's first term. A deadly antisemitic attack occurred in 2018 at a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing eleven Jewish individuals. Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Gaza war, antisemitic incidents have significantly increased and are at historically high levels.

Trump also addressed the issue of antisemitism on university campuses, urging them to take stronger action, particularly concerning anti-Israel protests. He specifically called Harvard University antisemitic, stating it and other universities are paying large sums for their actions. His administration had pressured universities by threatening to withhold research funds and reached financial settlements. This approach is divisive among Jewish Americans, with some supporting the measures against campus antisemitism while others express concern about the impact on research funding and the politicization of the fight against antisemitism.