Trump’s comments on Jewish Democrats and his second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, draw criticism

Former President Donald Trump is under fire for his recent comments about the Jewish community, in which he said that a Jewish American who votes for a Democrat is “an absolute idiot.”

The American Jewish Committee (AJC), a global Jewish rights group, condemned Trump’s comments.

“At a time when anti-Semitism is at record levels, the former president’s statement is divisive and potentially dangerous,” the AJC told ABC News in a statement.

“Jews as a group should not be targeted because of their beliefs or how they choose to vote. It’s even more problematic when individuals are singled out or targeted,” he said, referring to recent comments made specifically about Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish.

In a July 30 interview with New York radio host Sid Rosenberg on Red Apple Media-owned 77WABC, Trump said that “any Jewish person who voted for her or him or whoever…should have their head examined,” referring to likely Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Trump continued: “If you love Israel, or if you’re Jewish, because a lot of Jews don’t like Israel, and they happen to live in New York, you know that. But if you’re Jewish, regardless of Israel, if you’re Jewish, if you vote for a Democrat, you’re a fool, an absolute fool.”

Rosenberg then made disparaging comments about the second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, calling him a “Jew of shit,” which Trump appeared to approve of.

“Doug Emhoff, Mr. President, is Jewish,” Rosenberg said in the interview. “He’s Jewish like Bernie Sanders is Jewish. Are you kidding me?”

“Yes,” Trump replied.

“He’s a piece of shit Jew,” Rosenberg continued.

“Yes,” Trump said again.

“He’s a horrible Jew,” Rosenberg said.

In an interview in March, Trump claimed that “any Jew who votes for Democrats hates their religion.”

Emhoff responded at the time on Xwriting: “Donald Trump uses stereotypes to denigrate Jewish Americans. He called the Charlottesville neo-Nazis “very good people.” And his former chief of staff said he even praised Adolf Hitler. This hateful, anti-Semitic rhetoric is toxic. Donald Trump is the one who should be ashamed.”

Trump’s latest comments follow his statement during a July 26 speech that Harris does not like Jews, despite being married to a Jewish man.

“She doesn’t like Jews. She doesn’t like Israel. That’s the way it is and that’s the way it will always be. She’s not going to change,” he said at a conservative Christian event in Florida.

The former president’s comments come amid a surge in anti-Semitic incidents across the United States, with federal and local law enforcement warning of heightened tensions fueled by the war between Israel and Hamas abroad.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign replied on July 26, to Trump’s comments saying she does not like Jews, calling his vision of the country “bitter, bizarre and backward” and saying he “insulted the faith” of Jewish voters.

The vice president’s office did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from ABC News.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the highest-ranking Jewish official in the United States, criticized Trump for repeating what Schumer called an “old anti-Semitic cliché” about the loyalty of Jewish voters.

“It has been used for a very long time to drive Jews out of their homes, to portray them as untrustworthy and to deny them their basic dignity.” Schumer said in a speech on July 31.

Schumer continued: “Donald Trump then repeated the sick notion that if you are Jewish and support Democrats you should ‘get your head examined’ and that you are a bunch of ‘idiots.’ Unfortunately, we have seen this before, but it bears repeating: Donald Trump’s comments were reprehensible, dangerous, and demonstrate his strange comfort with anti-Semitic rhetoric.”

ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Isabella Murray, Will McDuffie and Gabriela Abdul-Hakim contributed to this report.