Jake Turx is a newly minted White House correspondent for a publication
that has never before had a seat in the White House press corps: Ami Magazine,
an Orthodox Jewish weekly based in Brooklyn. He is a singular presence
in the briefing room: a young Hasidic Jew with side curls tucked behind
his ears and a skullcap embroidered with his Twitter handle.
When
President Trump called on him at a news conference on Thursday, saying
he was looking for a “friendly reporter,” Mr. Turx was prepared. He had
spent an hour crafting a question about a recent surge of anti-Semitism,
with a preamble that he hoped would convey his supportive disposition
toward Mr. Trump.
But
the exchange did not go the way he expected. A few hours later, with
the clip replaying on social media and Jewish groups issuing news
releases, Mr. Turx, 30, was still reeling. He said in a telephone
interview, “Regretfully, today was a day I wish we could have done
over.”
His
editor, Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter, watched aghast from the magazine’s
offices as his young correspondent received a tongue-lashing from the
president: “It was a very disheartening moment for us, to watch him
being berated.”
The exchange began with Mr. Turx standing up from his third-row seat and gesturing slightly toward his fellow reporters:
“Despite
what some of my colleagues may have been reporting, I haven’t seen
anybody in my community accuse either yourself or anyone on your staff
of being anti-Semitic. We understand that you have Jewish grandchildren.
You are their zayde,” which is Yiddish for “grandfather” and often a
word of great affection.
At that Mr. Trump nodded slightly, and said, “thank you.”
“However,”
Mr. Turx continued, “what we are concerned about and what we haven’t
really heard being addressed is an uptick in anti-Semitism and how the
government is planning to take care of it. There’s been a report out
that 48 bomb threats have been made against Jewish centers all across
the country in the last couple of weeks. There are people committing
anti-Semitic acts or threatening to——”
At that, Mr. Trump interrupted, saying it was “not a fair question.”
“Sit down,” the president commanded. “I understand the rest of your question.”
As
Mr. Turx took his seat, Mr. Trump said, “So here’s the story, folks.
No. 1, I am the least anti-Semitic person that you’ve ever seen in your
entire life. No. 2, racism, the least racist person.”
Mr.
Turx tried to interject, realizing how the encounter had turned. He
said he had wanted to clarify that he in no way meant to accuse Mr.
Trump of anti-Semitism but instead intended to ask what his
administration could do to stop the anti-Semitic incidents.
But
Mr. Trump would not let him speak again, saying, “Quiet, quiet, quiet.”
As Mr. Turx shook his head with an incredulous look on his face, Mr.
Trump accused him of having lied that his question would be straight and
simple.
Mr. Trump said, “I find it repulsive. I hate even the question because people that know me. …”
He
went on to say that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, during
his visit to the United States on Wednesday, had vouched for Mr. Trump
as a good friend of Israel and the Jewish people and no anti-Semite.
Mr.
Trump concluded that Mr. Turx should have relied on Mr. Netanyahu’s
endorsement, “instead of having to get up and ask a very insulting
question like that.”
“Just shows you about the press, but that’s the way the press is,” Mr. Trump said.
At
the news conference, Mr. Turx was referring to a rash of incidents that
have shaken many American Jews since Mr. Trump was elected. On three
separate days in January, Jewish synagogues, community centers and
schools across the country received what seemed to be a coordinated wave of telephone bomb threats
that led to evacuations and F.B.I. investigations. Other Jewish
institutions have seen an uptick in vandalism and graffiti in the last
few months.
It
was the second time in two days that Mr. Trump was asked to denounce
anti-Semitism and offer American Jews a dose of reassurance. In his
joint news conference with Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Trump responded to a
question about anti-Semitism by breezily recounting the size of his
Electoral College victory and then reminding the reporters that his
daughter, Ivanka, his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and their three
children — Mr. Trump’s grandchildren — are all Jewish.
The Anti-Defamation League
issued a statement on Thursday that said, “It is mind-boggling why
President Trump prefers to shout down a reporter or brush this off as a
political distraction.”
David Harris, chief executive of the American Jewish Committee, said, “Respectfully, Mr. President, please use your bully pulpit not to bully
reporters asking questions potentially affecting millions of fellow
Americans, but rather to help solve a problem that, for many, is real
and menacing.”
This is why the whole “if only you explained nicely”, “if only you said SOME people, not all”, “if only you were respectful” arguments don’t really work. The literal President of the United States is too defensive and derailing and sensitive when it comes to that.
Jake Turx is a newly minted White House correspondent for a publication
that has never before had a seat in the White House press corps: Ami Magazine,
an Orthodox Jewish weekly based in Brooklyn. He is a singular presence
in the briefing room: a young Hasidic Jew with side curls tucked behind
his ears and a skullcap embroidered with his Twitter handle.
When
President Trump called on him at a news conference on Thursday, saying
he was looking for a “friendly reporter,” Mr. Turx was prepared. He had
spent an hour crafting a question about a recent surge of anti-Semitism,
with a preamble that he hoped would convey his supportive disposition
toward Mr. Trump.
But
the exchange did not go the way he expected. A few hours later, with
the clip replaying on social media and Jewish groups issuing news
releases, Mr. Turx, 30, was still reeling. He said in a telephone
interview, “Regretfully, today was a day I wish we could have done
over.”
His
editor, Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter, watched aghast from the magazine’s
offices as his young correspondent received a tongue-lashing from the
president: “It was a very disheartening moment for us, to watch him
being berated.”
The exchange began with Mr. Turx standing up from his third-row seat and gesturing slightly toward his fellow reporters:
“Despite
what some of my colleagues may have been reporting, I haven’t seen
anybody in my community accuse either yourself or anyone on your staff
of being anti-Semitic. We understand that you have Jewish grandchildren.
You are their zayde,” which is Yiddish for “grandfather” and often a
word of great affection.
At that Mr. Trump nodded slightly, and said, “thank you.”
“However,”
Mr. Turx continued, “what we are concerned about and what we haven’t
really heard being addressed is an uptick in anti-Semitism and how the
government is planning to take care of it. There’s been a report out
that 48 bomb threats have been made against Jewish centers all across
the country in the last couple of weeks. There are people committing
anti-Semitic acts or threatening to——”
At that, Mr. Trump interrupted, saying it was “not a fair question.”
“Sit down,” the president commanded. “I understand the rest of your question.”
As
Mr. Turx took his seat, Mr. Trump said, “So here’s the story, folks.
No. 1, I am the least anti-Semitic person that you’ve ever seen in your
entire life. No. 2, racism, the least racist person.”
Mr.
Turx tried to interject, realizing how the encounter had turned. He
said he had wanted to clarify that he in no way meant to accuse Mr.
Trump of anti-Semitism but instead intended to ask what his
administration could do to stop the anti-Semitic incidents.
But
Mr. Trump would not let him speak again, saying, “Quiet, quiet, quiet.”
As Mr. Turx shook his head with an incredulous look on his face, Mr.
Trump accused him of having lied that his question would be straight and
simple.
Mr. Trump said, “I find it repulsive. I hate even the question because people that know me. …”
He
went on to say that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, during
his visit to the United States on Wednesday, had vouched for Mr. Trump
as a good friend of Israel and the Jewish people and no anti-Semite.
Mr.
Trump concluded that Mr. Turx should have relied on Mr. Netanyahu’s
endorsement, “instead of having to get up and ask a very insulting
question like that.”
“Just shows you about the press, but that’s the way the press is,” Mr. Trump said.
At
the news conference, Mr. Turx was referring to a rash of incidents that
have shaken many American Jews since Mr. Trump was elected. On three
separate days in January, Jewish synagogues, community centers and
schools across the country received what seemed to be a coordinated wave of telephone bomb threats
that led to evacuations and F.B.I. investigations. Other Jewish
institutions have seen an uptick in vandalism and graffiti in the last
few months.
It
was the second time in two days that Mr. Trump was asked to denounce
anti-Semitism and offer American Jews a dose of reassurance. In his
joint news conference with Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Trump responded to a
question about anti-Semitism by breezily recounting the size of his
Electoral College victory and then reminding the reporters that his
daughter, Ivanka, his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and their three
children — Mr. Trump’s grandchildren — are all Jewish.
The Anti-Defamation League
issued a statement on Thursday that said, “It is mind-boggling why
President Trump prefers to shout down a reporter or brush this off as a
political distraction.”
David Harris, chief executive of the American Jewish Committee, said, “Respectfully, Mr. President, please use your bully pulpit not to bully
reporters asking questions potentially affecting millions of fellow
Americans, but rather to help solve a problem that, for many, is real
and menacing.”
This is why the whole “if only you explained nicely”, “if only you said SOME people, not all”, “if only you were respectful” arguments don’t really work. The literal President of the United States is too defensive and derailing and sensitive when it comes to that.
Today on 1/27/17 Trump closed America’s doors to refugees, indefinitely, banned immigrants from several countries, suspended the Visa program, and effectively left untold numbers of people stranded–including those with Green Cards and especially those with no where else to turn who had already been approved to come here.
It is not a ban purely on Muslims, just on specific (majority Muslim) countries, so there’s a chance it could hold up in court.
He signed this executive order on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Even if he didn’t understand the significance of that, I have no doubt Bannon and the other nazis on his staff did.
Today on 1/27/17 Trump closed America’s doors to refugees, indefinitely, banned immigrants from several countries, suspended the Visa program, and effectively left untold numbers of people stranded–including those with Green Cards and especially those with no where else to turn who had already been approved to come here.
It is not a ban purely on Muslims, just on specific (majority Muslim) countries, so there’s a chance it could hold up in court.
He signed this executive order on Holocaust Remembrance Day. Even if he didn’t understand the significance of that, I have no doubt Bannon and the other nazis on his staff did.
Kris Kobach, white supremacist and author of Arizona’s SB1070 (which requires brown people to carry documentation at all times) has been appointed to Trump’s transition team as his immigration advisor.
I should also mention that as the Kansas secretary of state, the man was also highly aggressive about voter suppression.
