Interfaith Alliance president Rabbi Jack Moline released the following statement in response to comments today by President Trump and Anthony Scaramucci, Trump’s pick to head the White House Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs:
“President Trump must be listening to Alex Jones again. It’s outrageous and irresponsible of him to speculate that recent anti-Semitic threats could be ‘false flag’ efforts meant to make others look bad.
“His advisor Anthony Scaramucci was even more explicit, suggesting that Democrats could be behind the threats against Jewish community centers. He also alleged that Democrats incited violence at Trump rallies.
“Taken together, the remarks by Trump and Scaramucci represent an utter failure to comprehend the recent surge in violent rhetoric and attacks directed at Jews, Muslims and other religious minorities. The uptick began during Trump’s campaign and has continued unabated.
“The President should be offering words of comfort to terrorized children instead of trying to smear political opponents with innuendo. He presumably would have responded differently if the Jewish school that his grandchildren attend had been among those targeted.
“It’s well past time for President Trump to take responsibility for his rhetoric. What he says has consequences, and he must own them.”