WASHINGTON (JTA) — A top Jewish Democrat who is leading congressional investigations into alleged wrongdoing by President Donald Trump slammed a Republican colleague for what Jerry Nadler said was an “anti-Semitic” tweet.
“To be clear, this tweet counts both as inane AND anti-Semitic,” Nadler of New York, the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, said Monday.
He was referring to a tweet the day earlier by Jim Jordan of Ohio, the ranking Republican on the Oversight Committee.
Jordan’s tweet was critical of Nadler over the scope of his queries into Trump’s alleged misdeeds, and his stated belief that Trump had obstructed justice.
“Nadler feeling the heat big time,” Jordan said. “Jumps to Tom $teyer’s conclusion—impeaching our President—before first document request.”
In fact, Nadler is among those Democrats who say considering impeachment is premature. Steyer, a major backer of Democrats and promoter of the idea of impeaching Trump, has a Jewish father and has in the past identified as Jewish although now he is a practicing Episcopalian. Anti-Semites on the fringes of the far right have over the years lumped Steyer in with Jews they slander as controlling the United States.
Last year, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy accused Steyer, George Soros and Michael Bloomberg, who are both Jewish, of trying to “buy” the midterm elections for Democrats. He later deleted the tweet.
Last month congressional Republicans blasted Democratic freshman Ilhan Omar for a tweet suggesting that the pro-Israel lobby had bought its influence on Capitol Hill. Omar apologized after colleagues on both sides of the aisle said the her tweet invoked an anti-Semitic trope of Jews and money.
