Donald Trump’s Star of David Tweet Came From a Fringe Website, a Report Says

By MATT FLEGENHEIMER and MAGGIE HABERMANJULY 3, 2016

New York Times

The Star of David imagery used in a Twitter post by Donald J. Trump this weekend had previously appeared on a message board known for anti-Semitism and white supremacy, as well as on a Twitter account with a history of racially charged comments, according to a report.

It is unclear where the Trump campaign discovered the image, which placed the shape of the Star of David beside a picture of Hillary Clinton with text that read, “Most Corrupt Candidate Ever!” and a background of $100 bills. The post on Saturday by Mr. Trump prompted immediate criticism, fueling accusations that Mr. Trump was playing to stereotypes of Jews.

Later on Saturday, Mr. Trump deleted the post and added another image with a circle covering the star, though tips of the star were still visible. While Mr. Trump’s campaign has been silent on the episode, and did not respond to requests for comment, some of his defenders have argued that a six-pointed star is a symbol used by many sheriff’s departments.

But a report on Sunday by the news website Mic traced the image to a website for the “alt right,” an internet-based movement associated with white nationalism, where it appeared as early as June 22. The origin of the image appeared to be a Twitter account that has frequently criticized Mrs. Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and has posted caustic and violent messages about Muslims, refugees and race.

For much of his campaign, Mr. Trump has been criticized for appearing to accommodate fringe groups and making comments that heartened them. He has also reposted encouraging messages from white supremacists.

Mr. Trump received criticism this year after he initially declined to disavow the support of David Duke, the white nationalist and former member of the Ku Klux Klan, before eventually distancing himself.

“I do not know that there’s a precedent for this,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, said in an interview.

“I think it’s certainly long overdue for Donald Trump as the presumptive G.O.P. nominee and as a person in the public square to reject — to flat-out, to firmly, to forcefully reject — the anti-Semites and the racists with a clarity and energy he’s brought to the campaign trail when going after other candidates,” Mr. Greenblatt said.

Mr. Greenblatt added that research had shown that white supremacists interpret Mr. Trump’s “hesitant disavowals” as a “green light” for their views.

Conservatives opposed to Mr. Trump have shuddered at what they consider to be unsubtle dog whistles, a term for coded messages to a political subgroup, from the candidate.

“A Star of David, a pile of cash, and suggestions of corruption,” Erick Erickson, a conservative commentator, posted on Twitter. “Donald Trump again plays to the white supremacists.”

Mr. Trump’s supporters have cast such reactions as examples of excessive sensitivity and political correctness. The fallout from this flap has been no exception.

On Sunday, on CNN, Corey Lewandowski, Mr. Trump’s former campaign manager, called the reaction “political correctness run amok.”

“A tweet is a simple tweet,” he said. “The bottom line is, you can read into things that are not there.”

Aides to Mrs. Clinton, who is a Methodist, have so far declined to comment.

Mr. Trump often speaks of his close ties to Jewish people. His daughter Ivanka converted to Judaism when she married Jared Kushner, who has become a close campaign adviser.

On Sunday, Mr. Trump called Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize winner who died Saturday, a “great man.”

“The world is a better place because of him and his belief that good can triumph over evil!” Mr. Trump posted on Twitter.

At a funeral service for Mr. Wiesel on Sunday, Ted Koppel revealed that Mr. Wiesel recently had lunch with Mr. Trump at the candidate’s invitation, according to two people at the memorial.

“I am sure he did not love Donald Trump,” said Francine Klagsbrun, an author and a friend of Mr. Wiesel’s. “I am sure he would not be voting for Trump,” she said. “But he was just an open person who was open to everybody.”

This is due to Trump's failure to have a good campaign organization. I do not believe trump is anti semitic. He simply is running a campaign on the fly and some idiot swiped this poster that originated on a racist web site and he tweeted it. It is stupid. He should apologize  and fire his staffer. Actually, Trump is at fault. An aspirant to presidency of the United state should have layers of checks to capture mistakes as this.

Donald J. Trump. what is the "J" for there is a lot of variations I can think of, good and bad, but fo real is wuh?    

Ah Chief, shut yuh rass.  You love to cuss Hindus from your house of worship.  you are a hypcrite.  you hate anything/anyone who dont subscribe to your fullah mentality.  go hide under a rock!

Ba$e bhai, at some stage you will own up to the travesty that is Trump. You see he is exactly what the GOP wanted. All these years that they have said nothing about the birther ridiculousness, the "You Lie" shout at a State of the Union Address, the "make him a one-term President" invocation, the racist dog-whistles, etc. The Republican Party went to school on making itself a majority party at the Presidential level and instead turned its back on the recommendations.

The Republican Senate came in a mid-term sweep when contested seats were mostly Democrats in Red States, and Dems usually are disinterested in mid-terms. Now the situation is reversed and ripe for a Democratic Senate. The House of Representatives gerrymandering will take a generation to be corrected. For instance Obama carried Pennsylvania by about 5 points and Dems outvoted Republicans by about 5% but got less than 30% of the House seats. This is the story in many other States with Republican Governors or States' Legislature majorities that are Republicans. Go figure.

Realize this also Ba$e that even when jobs come back to the US, as they have been happening under Obama, technology replaced a lot of humans. Understand this that as 5,000 coal miners lost their jobs because of a steel mill shuttering in a county in Pennsylvania, 65,000 Health Care jobs were created. Technology means that commerce has changed and also it has meant two type of workers - those who will make $10 an hour and those who will make multiple times that. So when Trump talks about bringing jobs back, even his supporters say he nor Hillary can do that but he talks their language. Trade Agreements are not the issue - it's enforcement and this is where he Republican congress keeps withholding trade inspectors money from the Obama Administration. Trade Agreements protect workers in both countries and the environment. They are an acknowledgement that in a market that is closer between producers and consumers (Internet, fast transportation, easy travel, etc.) there will be the principle of competitive advantage at work. consumers benefit and competition will bring out superior products and services. The question is enforcement. Tell your Republican House to stop blocking Obama like they've done on a whole lot of appointments (including a Supreme Court Justice). Are you still blind to what they have done to the first Black President of the USA?

Kari posted:

Ba$e bhai, at some stage you will own up to the travesty that is Trump. You see he is exactly what the GOP wanted. All these years that they have said nothing about the birther ridiculousness, the "You Lie" shout at a State of the Union Address, the "make him a one-term President" invocation, the racist dog-whistles, etc. The Republican Party went to school on making itself a majority party at the Presidential level and instead turned its back on the recommendations.

The Republican Senate came in a mid-term sweep when contested seats were mostly Democrats in Red States, and Dems usually are disinterested in mid-terms. Now the situation is reversed and ripe for a Democratic Senate. The House of Representatives gerrymandering will take a generation to be corrected. For instance Obama carried Pennsylvania by about 5 points and Dems outvoted Republicans by about 5% but got less than 30% of the House seats. This is the story in many other States with Republican Governors or States' Legislature majorities that are Republicans. Go figure.

Realize this also Ba$e that even when jobs come back to the US, as they have been happening under Obama, technology replaced a lot of humans. Understand this that as 5,000 coal miners lost their jobs because of a steel mill shuttering in a county in Pennsylvania, 65,000 Health Care jobs were created. Technology means that commerce has changed and also it has meant two type of workers - those who will make $10 an hour and those who will make multiple times that. So when Trump talks about bringing jobs back, even his supporters say he nor Hillary can do that but he talks their language. Trade Agreements are not the issue - it's enforcement and this is where he Republican congress keeps withholding trade inspectors money from the Obama Administration. Trade Agreements protect workers in both countries and the environment. They are an acknowledgement that in a market that is closer between producers and consumers (Internet, fast transportation, easy travel, etc.) there will be the principle of competitive advantage at work. consumers benefit and competition will bring out superior products and services. The question is enforcement. Tell your Republican House to stop blocking Obama like they've done on a whole lot of appointments (including a Supreme Court Justice). Are you still blind to what they have done to the first Black President of the USA?

Ah, you just talk too freaking much and fit the same bill which you accuse Trump of.  You are all just a nest of Hindu haters.

ball posted:

Donald J. Trump. what is the "J" for there is a lot of variations I can think of, good and bad, but fo real is wuh?    

John

ball posted:

Donald J. Trump. what is the "J" for there is a lot of variations I can think of, good and bad, but fo real is wuh?    

Choose;

Jerk / Jackass / Both

ba$eman posted:

Ah Chief, shut yuh rass.  You love to cuss Hindus from your house of worship.  you are a hypcrite.  you hate anything/anyone who dont subscribe to your fullah mentality.  go hide under a rock!

Heehehe!

That is all you can do?

Hate is not in Chief vocabulary, just love.