vance Downplays Surge in Republican Antisemitism,Cites Lack of Evidence Among Young Conservatives
The US Vice President,JD Vance,stated thursday that he does not believe antisemitism is currently surging within the Republican Party,a position that diverges from concerns raised by prominent conservatives regarding hostility toward Jews among young right-wing activists.
“I do think it’s significant to call this stuff out when I see it. I also,when I talk to young conservatives,I don’t see some simmering antisemitism that’s exploding,” Vance told NBC News in an interview marking his first year in office.
Vance affirmed that antisemitism is unacceptable, asserting that “judging anybody based on their skin color or immutable characteristics, I think, is fundamentally anti-American and anti-Christian.” The vice President, a convert to Catholicism, recently expressed his hope that his hindu wife would choose to embrace Christianity.
He added, “In any bunch of apples, you have bad people. But my attitude on this is we should be firm in saying antisemitism and racism is wrong. … I think it’s kind of slanderous to say that the Republican Party, the conservative movement, is extremely antisemitic.”
These remarks represent Vance’s most direct response to warnings from Senator ted Cruz and other influential figures on the right about a potential rise in antisemitism among conservatives. These concerns were especially heightened following Tucker Carlson, a close ally of Vance, hosting Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes on his podcast.
Vance’s comments come as the Republican Party grapples with an ongoing debate regarding how to address the emergence of explicitly antisemitic figures like Fuentes. Fuentes’ online “groyper” movement has gained traction among young GOP staffers and activists, prompting alarm from Jewish conservatives and other right-leaning commentators.These observers estimate that a significant number of junior Republican staffers are exposed to Fuentes’ content,where he has described “organized Jewry” as a threat to American unity.
Vance’s perceived silence on antisemitism was a central topic of discussion at a recent gathering of Jewish conservatives, with attendees questioning his association with Carlson.
Former President Donald Trump recently defended Carlson following the interview with Fuentes, stating, “You can’t tell him who to interview.” Carlson actively campaigned for Trump in 2024 and continues to wield influence within the governance. Trump himself met with Fuentes and Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, at Mar-a-Lago in 2022, later claiming he was unaware of Fuentes’ identity.
Vance has adopted a similar cautious approach. He defended Carlson’s son, buckley, against accusations of antisemitism, but did not address Carlson’s interview with Fuentes. In October, he faced criticism for responding to a college student’s question about Jews and Israel without acknowledging the antisemitic undertones of the inquiry.
During the NBC interview, Vance also highlighted several progressive politicians he respects, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Ro Khanna, and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
Vance described Mamdani, who recently met with President Trump at the White House, as “fascinating.” However, a recent poll indicates that nearly two-thirds of American Jews view Mamdani as both anti-Israel and antisemitic.
“Obviously, I’m not a communist, but the fact that he focuses so aggressively on the affordability question in New York City, which does have one of the worst affordability crises anywhere in the world, is smart, and he’s at least listening to people,” Vance said. “Most politicians, it’s a very low bar, but they don’t even listen to people. I would put Mamdani, Bernie and Ro Khanna in the category of those who, at least sometimes, they are.”
