• Dim Amor

How can a father who supported Nazis and antisemites have a son who "loves" Jews?

In fact, Donald Trump's father, Fred Trump, was known for his hatred toward Jews and Blacks, and his views paralleled those of Adolf Hitler. The family business did not employ Jews or Blacks. Furthermore, Fred Trump was an active member of the racist Ku Klux Klan movement, a group considered distinctly Nazi-aligned.

Many believe that Donald Trump identifies with Jews and Blacks, but the essential question is whether the apple has truly fallen far from the tree or rather close to it? It is reasonable to assume that the apple has not fallen far from the tree. Several years ago, Trump was documented making racist remarks about Barack Obama, even claiming that a Black person is not worthy of being president of the United States.

Family Legacy and Early Business Career

Donald Trump's family background has been thoroughly investigated in the American media. Fred Trump, Donald's father, established a real estate empire in New York in the 1940s and 1950s. The E. Trump & Son company focused on building housing in neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn. The company's employment practices and rental policies were the subject of criticism and accusations of discrimination.

In 1973, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Trump's company alleging discrimination against African Americans in rental housing. The lawsuit, filed under the Fair Housing Act, claimed that the company refused to rent apartments to Black people and discriminated in rental terms based on race. The parties eventually reached a settlement agreement, without an admission of guilt by Trump's company, which included a commitment to change rental policies.

The allegations regarding connections to racist organizations are based on various media reports. In 1927, the New York Times reported on the arrest of a man named Fred Trump following confrontations at a Ku Klux Klan event in Queens. However, it has not been conclusively proven that this was Donald Trump's father or to what extent he was involved in the organization itself.

Donald Trump's family heritage also includes his grandfather, Friedrich Trump, who immigrated from Germany to the U.S. in the late 19th century. In his book "The Art of the Deal," Trump emphasized his pride in his German family heritage but avoided addressing allegations of racial discrimination by his father. We will return to this issue in greater detail later and delve into the particulars.

Racism against the African-American population continued into the 21st century

A Black president? In the eyes of supporters of the racist "Birther" movement (whose supporters believe Obama was born outside the U.S. and therefore was not eligible to serve as president), this was inconceivable. Donald Trump was for a long time an enthusiastic supporter of this conspiracy theory: Obama was not born in the U.S., but in Kenya, and he is Muslim.

Trump's involvement in the "Birther" movement began in 2011, when he started publicly raising doubts about Barack Obama's birthplace. In an interview with ABC that year, Trump asked, "Why doesn't he show us his birth certificate?" This question marked the beginning of his public involvement in the issue, which continued for years.

In August 2012, at the height of the presidential race between Obama and Mitt Romney, Trump wrote on his Twitter account: "A highly reliable source called my office and reported that Barack Obama's birth certificate is a forgery." He continued to spread the claim even after the White House released Obama's original birth certificate.

Many saw this campaign as an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the first Black president in the U.S. The focus on the question of Obama's birthplace was perceived as a disguise for racism, especially given that similar questions were not raised about previous white presidents.

In September 2016, in the midst of the presidential race, Trump suddenly changed his position and declared: "President Obama was born in the United States. Period." He did not apologize for his previous claims, and even tried to blame Hillary Clinton for starting the rumors.

Statements on Immigrants, Muslims, and Ethnic Groups

The 2016 presidential campaign was characterized by a series of controversial statements by Trump toward various minority groups. In June 2015, in his candidacy announcement speech, he referred to immigrants from Mexico as follows: "Mexico is not sending their best. They're sending people that have lots of problems. They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people".

This statement caused a public uproar and even led many companies to sever their business ties with Trump. But instead of apologizing, he continued to promote the idea of building a wall on the border with Mexico, which became a central symbol in his campaign.

Trump also made harsh statements toward Muslims. In December 2015, he issued a statement calling for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on". Shortly thereafter, in March 2016, he said in an interview with CNN: "I think Islam hates us".

Referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks, Trump claimed in 2015: "I was told that large parts of the Arab community in New Jersey celebrated when the Twin Towers collapsed". This claim was later refuted by law enforcement and the media.

A public controversy was also sparked by his response to a speech given by Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim American soldier killed in combat in Iraq. Khan, a lawyer of Pakistani origin, strongly criticized Trump's immigration policy at the Democratic Party convention, while his wife Ghazala stood silently by his side. Trump responded: "You had to see his wife! She didn't say a word. Maybe, as a Muslim, she's not even allowed to speak!"

Trump's appointments indicate antisemitism (whether openly or in a disguised way)

Throughout his tenure as president, and after the 2024 elections, Trump made appointments that sparked public controversy over issues of racism and antisemitism.

One of the first and most controversial appointments was that of Steve Bannon as chief strategist in the White House. Bannon, a former U.S. Navy officer, had previously managed the Breitbart News website, which he himself defined as a "platform for the alt-right" – a group that many critics link to white nationalist movements. The appointment was seen by Trump's critics as a sign of his willingness to legitimize extreme views.

Toward the end of his first term, Trump made several controversial appointments, and an additional series of appointments after his victory in the 2024 elections. Among the appointments that drew criticism was that of filmmaker Mel Gibson to the position of "special envoy" to Hollywood. Gibson is known for his past antisemitic statements, including the claim that "Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world" – a statement he made when arrested in 2006 for drunk driving.

In an event that caused an uproar in December 2022, Trump hosted rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Nick Fuentes, an avowed Holocaust denier, at Mar-a-Lago, his home in Florida. The dinner took place shortly after West lost many contracts due to antisemitic statements, including praise for Adolf Hitler. In a conversation with journalists after the event, Trump described West as "really a good guy" with a "good heart," and claimed he did not know about Fuentes' presence.

In December 2024, after his election victory, Trump announced the appointment of former Congressman Matt Gaetz to the position of Attorney General. Gaetz is known for his opposition to legislation aimed at combating antisemitism, and has previously expressed views perceived as antisemitic, including repeating the false claim that "Jews killed Jesus". The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) attacked the appointment and recalled that Gaetz had even invited Holocaust denier Charles Carlyle Johnson to the State of the Union address in 2018.

In January 2025, the invitation of Imam Husham al-Husseini to participate in the presidential inauguration ceremony sparked additional criticism. Al-Husseini, a representative of the Iraqi community in Dearborn, Michigan, is known for anti-Israel statements. In the past, he claimed that Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization, and participated in a support rally for the organization in Dearborn, where he took the stage with a picture of Nasrallah.

We must not ignore the figure of Elon Musk, a man who shows an excessive fondness for Nazi ideology (from his connections with neo-Nazi circles to his unfair behavior in computer games). Elon Musk is a dangerous and pitiful personality.

The hand gesture that raises questions – a Nazi symbol in every sense, without any doubt "unrestrained excessive enthusiasm that should not be interpreted as you think" – performed by Musk caused many echoes in early 2025, but in this case the technology entrepreneur and Trump associate enjoyed the presumption of innocence. Such is the inner circle of Trump in 2025.

Positions on Israel and Jews

Against the backdrop of allegations of antisemitism, it is also important to examine Trump's positions toward Israel and his relationships with the Jewish community in the U.S.

Trump presented himself as "the most pro-Israel president in history". Among the significant initiatives he promoted: recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moving the U.S. embassy there, recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and the formulation of the "Deal of the Century" for peace in the Middle East – a plan that was perceived as favoring Israel.

In addition, he led the signing of the "Abraham Accords" – normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. These moves earned him significant support from the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, his relationships with the American Jewish community were more complex. While he received support from Orthodox and right-wing groups, the majority of American Jews, who tend toward liberalism, voted against him in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

On several occasions, Trump expressed himself in ways that sparked controversy within the Jewish community. In August 2019, referring to American Jews who vote for Democrats, he said: "I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty." The claim about "disloyalty" echoed an old antisemitic trope about Jews' "dual loyalty".

At a meeting with Jewish donors in April 2019, Trump referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "your prime minister", a statement perceived as implying that American Jews are more loyal to Israel than to the U.S.

The complexity of relations with the Jewish community was also reflected in his response to the events of October 2018, when an antisemitic attacker killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh – the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. Trump condemned the event but was criticized by some members of the local community when he visited the site.

Fred Trump's racism over the years

According to an article published in the New York Times on June 1, 1927, a person bearing the name and address of Donald Trump's father was brought to trial following an incident in which members of the Ku Klux Klan attacked police officers at a rally held on Memorial Day in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens.

In the article published in the New York Times, it is stated that Fred Trump, residing at 175-24 Devonshire Road, was among seven people arrested at the rally for assaulting police officers during the parade. However, his case was closed during the legal proceedings.

Following the arrests, the Klan distributed flyers throughout Queens, protesting against the New York Police under the heading: "Americans beaten by New York's Catholic police!".

The flyers condemned what they called "American Protestants suffering from tuberculosis", who were injured and beaten with clubs while trying to stand up for their rights in their country.

In 1973, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Fred Trump and Donald Trump for refusing to rent apartments to African Americans in properties under their management, in their capacities as CEO and president of Trump Management, respectively. A later investigation by the New York Times revealed "a long history of racial discrimination" in the Trump family company's properties. Long before that, folk singer Woody Guthrie had condemned Fred Trump through his songs, and even dedicated a song to the issue of discrimination against African Americans in a property in Coney Island where Guthrie himself lived.

As for Fred Trump's presence at the Klan parade on Memorial Day, it is a historical fact, and in 1927, when Trump was a millionaire, he refrained from suing the New York Times, since everyone knew that he supported Nazi ideology and it was no secret, and he also did not know that Donald would be the president of the U.S. in the 21st century, and that in the modern era being racist is shameful.

Racist supporters of Nazism from Germany: The Trump family

Fred Trump was born on October 11, 1905, in the Bronx, to a family of German immigrants from the Kingdom of Bavaria, Friedrich Trump and his wife Elizabeth. His parents spoke German. He grew up alongside his brother John and sister Elizabeth.

In September 1908, the family moved to New York. From the age of 10, he served as a messenger in a meat market.

Between 1918 and 1923, Fred received his education at Richmond Hill High School in the neighborhood of the same name in Queens. During his studies, he worked in deliveries and shipping. His mother was involved in real estate, continuing his father's business. Fred aspired to be a contractor, and took evening classes in carpentry and blueprint reading. He also expanded his knowledge independently in plumbing, construction, and electricity.

Upon completing his studies in January 1923, Fred found full-time employment and specialized in transporting building materials to construction sites. Later, he was accepted as a carpenter's assistant and continued his studies at the Pratt Institute.

Fred's mother lent him $800 to build his first house, which was completed in 1924. Elizabeth Trump managed the business under her name since Fred had not yet reached the legal age. The company "E. Trump & Son" was founded in 1925 and began operations in 1926. That year, Fred built 20 houses in Queens, selling some before completion to finance the remaining properties. The company was officially registered in 1927.

Later, Fred became a partner in his mother's construction company, "E. Trump & Son".

In the late 1920s, Fred began building single-family homes in Queens, New York. During that period, he avoided building houses for Black people (as was later discovered, this went against his principles).

In 1922, Fred Trump joined the neo-Nazi movement of the Ku Klux Klan, which called for the murder of Jews and Blacks.

In 1927, more than a thousand Ku Klux Klan members marched in a parade in Queens. Fred and six other men were arrested. Fred was arrested "for refusing to disperse as ordered." Many newspaper articles mentioning the incident noted Trump's residential address (Jamaica, New York), which he shared with his mother according to the 1930 census.

In 1934, Fred, along with two partners, purchased a mortgage loan service company through the federal court. The company quickly went bankrupt and was dissolved due to fraud allegations. Subsequently, Fred obtained information about many properties facing acquisition, which he purchased at reduced prices and sold for significant profit. This business strategy made him one of the most successful entrepreneurs in New York.

By 1936, Fred employed 400 workers, all white but from different countries of origin (he did not employ Blacks or Jews). They laid foundations for houses priced between $3,000 and $6,250. Property prices stood at $3,999.99.

With the outbreak of World War II, Fred moved his family to Virginia. During the war and until the 1980s, Fred denied speaking German and claimed his origin was Swedish. According to his nephew, John Walter, "he had many Jewish tenants, and in those days being German was not to his advantage." Donald Trump, in his book "The Art of the Deal" (1987), claims that Fred was the son of an immigrant from Sweden and was born in New Jersey, but in fact, he was of German descent from both his mother's and father's sides, as is Donald Trump himself.

Regarding his religious belief, Fred was Lutheran.

Ku Klux Klan: Antisemitism and racist sentiments in the American state

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is one of the most well-known and documented organizations in American history as an organization of hatred and racism. With a focus on white supremacy, the organization advocated against the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, especially against African Americans, Jews, Catholics, Muslims, and other peoples. This movement not only fostered racism on an ethnic basis but also included prominent antisemitic components, expressed both in hatred toward Jews and in conducting actions against populations from Eastern Europe.

The Ku Klux Klan – Its Roots and Connection to Antisemitism

The Ku Klux Klan was first established in 1865 in the southern United States after the American Civil War. The organization was intended to preserve white supremacy and prevent civil and voting rights for African Americans. However, over time, the organization's purpose changed, and it began to adopt additional racist ideologies that had an antisemitic, anti-Catholic, and anti-immigrant character.

The second incarnation of the organization, in the 1920s, was related to a period of racial and religious tensions in the United States. The film "The Birth of a Nation" (1915), which marked the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in its new version, reflected the organization's worldview, which included anti-Jewish sentiments. Antisemitic images were present in the Klan's campaigns, focusing on spreading hatred toward Jews and Jewish business owners. The organization claimed that Jews were a threatening factor to the "American order" and saw them as responsible for many of the social and political problems of the time.

The Klan's Actions Against Jews

During the period between World War I and the 1930s, the Ku Klux Klan described Jews as "worse" than African Americans, because they were an immigrant stream that came from countries with different religions and other traditions. The organization saw Jews not only as a racial minority group but also as enemies of the Christian faith, thus finding itself fighting a dual battle – both against Jewish immigrants and against what appeared to be "religious anarchy." Jews, for their part, were targets of intense hatred.

In 1920, a large-scale demonstration by Klan members took place in New York City, during which antisemitic posters were distributed. The call was to support the halt of Eastern European immigration, including Jews. This struggle, which was also expressed in hatred toward anyone who was not American in spirit, created severe hostile feelings toward Jews.

In 1924, when the organization influenced United States immigration policy, its supporters tried to persuade the government to impose more severe restrictions on Jewish immigration from Eastern Europe. These efforts were also perceived as an attempt to cleanse the country of foreign populations, which were already considered dangerous to American society by Klan members.

The Connection with Worldwide Antisemitism

Although the Ku Klux Klan operated within the United States, the antisemitism it spread was part of a broader global trend. The racial and religious tension in the United States in the 1920s was directly influenced by the spread of antisemitism in Europe, especially by the spread of anti-Jewish ideas propagated by totalitarian regimes like that of Nazi Germany.

The antisemitic press distributed by the Klan included calls for harsh treatment of Jews. Klan members shared these feelings, and the dissemination of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" – an antisemitic document that invented the idea of a Jewish world conspiracy – served as a prime example of the influence of external influences of Jews on the world of politics and society.

The Klan and Antisemitic Violence

The Ku Klux Klan did not content itself with spreading hatred and feelings of fear toward Jews but also carried out violent actions against them. Over the years, there were cases where Klan members physically attacked Jews, also on the ideological basis of "defending" America from foreign influences. The violent acts against Jews, along with other actions taken against minorities, were part of the organization's broader plan to deny the rights of all who were perceived as other.

Between 1915 and 1930, several violent events took place involving Klan members, including lynchings that beat people of Jewish origin, especially in cases related to crimes committed by Jews. There were also cases where Klan members used intimidation and violence to maintain their positions against the spread of foreign influences, including Jewish influences.

The Antisemitic Legacy of the Klan

The Ku Klux Klan not only stood at the forefront of racist violence in the country but was also party to antisemitic struggles from which many Jews suffered throughout history. The antisemitism that was not only part of the hatred toward minorities but also an aspect of preserving the "purity of American blood," continued to shape the roles of the organization and still continued in various ways. Even today, in a reduced form, the racism and antisemitism of the Klan remain part of the dubious legacy of the organization.

Photos: Social networks, Wikipedia, REUTERS, Mike Segar, pursuant to Section 27A