UNITED STATES: Donald Trump has come under fire from Democrats, anti-racist organizations, and some Republicans for having dinner with white American nationalist and antisemite Nick Fuentes after information about their interaction at the former US president’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida surfaced.
The encounter is just the most recent in a string of incidents involving the former US president and the far right, including his mention of the Proud Boys during a presidential debate.
Trump has acknowledged that he met Fuentes at a meal with Kanye West, the musician better known as Ye, who is upfront about his severe anti-Semitic and racist beliefs on his podcast. Trump claimed he was unaware Fuentes would attend the event and had no idea who he was. The former president added, “[Ye] unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about.” The gathering received harsh criticism.
The head of the Anti-Defamation League, which fights prejudice and antisemitism, Jonathan Greenblatt, denounced Trump’s meeting with Fuentes and expressed dismay at the revelation.
Democrats also voiced their disapproval. Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement that the action should prevent Trump, who just declared a bid for the White House in 2024, from representing the Republican party.
Republicans join the cry of outrage
The meeting with Fuentes and Ye was condemned in a tweet by David Friedman, who served as Trump’s ambassador to Israel. Ye has also recently made antisemitic remarks that have cost him a variety of valuable relationships.
“Even a social visit from an antisemite like Kanye West and human scum like Nick Fuentes is unacceptable. I urge you to throw those bums out, disavow them and relegate them to the dustbin of history where they belong,” Friedman wrote in a tweet.
The Republican Jewish Coalition’s executive director, Matt Brooks, also attacked the former president.
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