Meghan McCain Attempts to Lecture Chuck Schumer About Antisemitism
“Do you understand critics that think you were too silent during the last attack?” McCain asked the Jewish majority leader before repeatedly pressing him to decry antisemitism.
Once again, The View’s Meghan McCain chastised a Jewish guest for supposedly not speaking out loudly enough against antisemitism.
During Thursday’s broadcast of The View, the soon-to-be ex-host confronted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on what she claimed was his silence on both the Israel–Palestine conflict earlier this year and the spate of antisemitic attacks that occurred as the violence raged abroad.
“Senator Schumer, you are well known for support of your Jewish supporters and Israel and you even tell your Jewish supporters your last name comes from the Hebrew term shomer, or guard, and you will be a guard for Israel,” she said. “But recently you were largely silent during the recent escalation with Hamas, and I recently interviewed Joseph Borgen, who was the Jewish man beaten in Times Square in May for wearing a yarmulke. He said he was disappointed that he did not hear from you directly after his attack as a hate crime. Do you understand critics that think you were too silent during the last attack?”
The New York lawmaker, who is seen as one of the most hawkish Democratic defenders of Israel, pushed back on McCain’s characterization.
“That’s not really—that’s not true,” he declared. “Immediately after the attack, I joined the bipartisan resolution by Senators Murphy and Young. I supported it, or the statement that said we need a cease-fire immediately. That was very strong and immediate, and bold, and I’ve talked repeatedly against antisemitism.”
He went on to blame Republican attack ads for the claim that he’s been silent on both the Israel–Palestine conflict and antisemitism in the United States, stating that many “hard-right people” have tried to make this a partisan issue.
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“I continue to defend Israel. I believe in a two-state solution,” Schumer continued. “I’ve had long talks with the new [Israeli prime minister] and he’s been fully supportive of me, Yair Lapid, who is one of the two new people in the coalition. So those attacks were false. Just false.”
McCain, meanwhile, wanted to know if Schumer would like to speak out directly about the attack on Borgen, who was viciously beaten when pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protesters clashed in Times Square this spring.
“Of course, I regret he was attacked and I’ve condemned the antisemitic attacks countless number of times and I’ll send him everything I said,” Schumer responded.
The conservative co-host then noted that the attack on Borgen “wasn’t coming from Republicans” but instead from Palestinian activists, and “that’s the question people still have.”
“The attack on him was terrible and regretful,” Schumer reiterated. “I’ve condemned all of these attacks over and over again. The day after he was attacked I put out a strong statement against the attacks.”
This isn’t the first time that McCain—who is not Jewish—has attempted to chide a Jewish Democrat for being insufficiently outspoken against antisemitism in her estimation. Last month, she called Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) the “Godfather of the Squad” while seemingly holding him responsible for allegedly antisemitic comments made by other progressive lawmakers.
“Well Meghan, first of all, I don’t believe that’s what they’re saying, and second of all, it’s not my job to have to defend every member of Congress,” Sanders pushed back at the time.
And in 2019, McCain broke down in tears over what she called “scary” comments about Israel made by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), noting that she “verges on being a Zionist” and has family friends who are Jewish.
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