Jonathan Greenblatt, of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), has labeled Matt Gaetz, President-elect Trump’s attorney general nominee, an anti-Semite unfit for office.
The ADL accuses Representative Gaetz of promoting anti-Semitism and urges his rejection. Trump announced Gaetz’s nomination on Wednesday, portraying him as someone who would end the perceived politicization of the justice system. While a staunch Trump ally, this nomination has upset some Republicans and provoked strong opposition from the ADL, a Jewish advocacy group typically aligned with the Democratic Party.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, in a Wednesday X post, cited Gaetz’s history of actions seen as anti-Semitic, including his justification for opposing the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act using a long-standing anti-Jewish trope, his defense of the “Great Replacement Theory,” and his invitation of a Holocaust denier to the 2018 State of the Union address. Greenblatt stated that Gaetz is unsuitable for any high office, especially one requiring impartiality in enforcing the law.
Greenblatt’s statement provided limited detail on the cited examples. The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which passed the House but failed to become law, aimed to criminalize contemporary anti-Semitic acts, including claims about Jews killing Jesus. Gaetz argued the bill would criminalize core Christian tenets.
The “Great Replacement Theory” posits a gradual displacement of white people by non-white immigrants. Though often dismissed as a racist conspiracy, the white-to-non-white population ratio in the US has steadily declined since mid-20th century.
In 2021, the ADL condemned Tucker Carlson for suggesting Democrats aimed to replace white Republican voters with immigrant Democrat voters, Greenblatt characterizing Carlson’s remarks as “toxic, anti-Semitic and xenophobic.”
Gaetz responded by calling the ADL a “racist organization.”
Gaetz invited right-wing commentator Charles Johnson to the 2018 State of the Union address, leading to another ADL confrontation. Johnson previously downplayed the Holocaust death toll. Gaetz, while not labeling Johnson a Holocaust denier, admitted needing to better vet his guest.
The impact of Greenblatt’s criticism on Gaetz’s Senate confirmation remains unclear. Despite the Republican Senate majority, four Republican ‘no’ votes, coupled with unanimous Democratic opposition, could block his appointment as Attorney General.