Second gentleman Doug Emhoff warned Pittsburgh Jews that former President Donald Trump and his movement will inflame antisemitism to a fever pitch if Trump is elected president.
Emhoff, who is Jewish, is the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president. He spoke for 20 minutes in front of a group of more than 100, many of them Jewish and wearing yarmulkes, on Monday night in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in Pittsburgh today said he and Kamala Harris are committed to fighting antisemitism, and have been doing so their whole lives. He contrasted that with reports that Trump praised Hitler’s generals while in office. pic.twitter.com/QBT42ecRUV
— Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) October 28, 2024
He contrasted Trump’s chaos with Harris’ longtime support of the Jewish community. Trump has demeaned immigrants with the same insults that have been hurled at Jews throughout history, Emhoff said. He referenced increasing rates of antisemitism and hatred both locally and nationally, and urged voters to reject Trump, or things could get worse.
“There is a fire in this country,” Emhoff said at the University Club in Oakland. “Either we pour water on it, or we pour gasoline. Which is it going to be?”
Emhoff referenced recent reports about Trump praising Adolf Hitler when he was in office, and said Trump should not be rewarded with power when several figures who were close to Trump have warned the nation against him.
Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, told reporters last week that Trump meets the definition of a fascist and that while in office he suggested that Adolf Hitler “did some good things” while running Nazi Germany.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Emhoff said Harris would be a beacon for the Jewish community in the White House. He lauded her for encouraging him to use the second gentleman’s office to combat antisemitism, and said she has been an ally to those efforts every step of the way.
“Everywhere I go, people tell me they are feeling loneliness. It didn’t always feel this way to be to Jewish. One place I have never felt that is in the home I share with Kamala Harris,” he said.
The Pittsburgh region is home to more than 50,000 Jews, and they could be a crucial voting bloc in what is expected to be a close election.
The election comes as a tense time for Jewish voters, particularly in Pittsburgh. Sunday marked six years since the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, when 11 Jewish congregants were murdered at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history.
There have been some rumblings that Jewish voters, typically strong Democratic Party allies, might be defecting somewhat to Republicans over the Israel-Hamas war.
Meryl Ainsman, a former board chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, said Emhoff has been an ally to Pittsburgh’s Jewish community over the years, and praised him for his advocacy following the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.
Emhoff sought to reinforce Harris’ support for Israel, as well as remind people of her call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war. He praised her for her work in the White House for helping Israel shoot down Iranian missiles fired on the nation.
Trump has indicated unwavering support for Israel in the conflict, but Emhoff said Trump’s chaotic nature and quest for revenge means he demands loyalty but is loyal to no one.
If it suits Trump’s interest, Emhoff said, he will turn his back on Israel and the Jewish people.
Harris shows deep loyalty to Jews in America and around the world, Emhoff argued.
“I know what’s in her soul,” he said. “I know she feels what you and I and Jews across America are feeling today. She gets it.”