The Trenton City Council president reportedly making an anti-Semitic remark has led some to criticize her — but two of her colleagues say the alleged comment is not a big deal.

While discussing a lawsuit settlement during a Sept. 5 executive session, President Kathy McBride said in a discussion with a lawyer, “I’m sad for her that they were able to wait her out and Jew her down for $22,000 worth of pins in her knee that can never, ever be repaired. I am so sad for her as a Trenton resident,” according to an audio recording the New Jersey Globe says they have heard.

Mayor Reed Gusciora has already admonished McBride for making the remark and called for her to apologize to the lawyer, who is Jewish, an email obtained by NJ Advance Media says.

Since then, two council members - Robin Vaughn and George Muschal - have defended McBride and said the comment was not derogatory.

And another, Jerell Blakeley, said McBride, Muschal and Vaughn all need to step down.

Vaughn, the West Ward council representative, also told constituents on Facebook that “to Jew someone down is a verb," and not offensive.

“We really need to get a more acute meaning and understanding of ‘anti-Semitic’. I believe her comment ‘jew down’ was more in reference to negotiating not ‘I hate jews’” Vaughn wrote in a reply comment to her post. “Inappropriate in today’s PC culture absolutely, but to Jew someone down is a verb and is not anti-anything or indicative of hating Jewish people.”

And in a letter to the mayor and council posted Saturday as an Insider NJ column, Vaughn said Gusciora only took issue with the remark over politics.

“The mayor should stop grandstanding and pretending to care about racism and discrimination issues. His purported outrage is not about fighting racism and discrimination,” Vaughn wrote. “His purported outrage is really a thinly disguised pretext for going after Council President McBride to discredit and undermine her accomplishments because she takes her job seriously and openly challenges his commitment to the City of Trenton.”

Vaughn also wrote she wants an investigation to be conducted into how the media found out about the comment, which was made in an executive council session.

Trenton South Ward Councilman George Muschal, left, and At-large Trenton Councilman Jerell Blakeley.File photos

Meanwhile, Muschal, the South Ward council representative, said he didn’t hear McBride make the remark, but he’s heard the term “Jew them down” many times and thinks it is “just a statement of speech,” according to the Globe.

“You know, it’s like a car dealer, they wanted $5,000, you Jew ‘em down to $4,000,” Muschal told the Globe. “It’s nothing vicious. The expression has been said millions of times.”

Muschal’s “statement of speech” remark was refuted Monday evening by Evan Bernstein, director of the Anti-Defamation League’s New Jersey and New York chapter.

"Anti-Semitic tropes about Jews and money are not just ‘statements of speech,’ Bernstein said in a statement posted to the ADL chapter’s Twitter account. “Instead, they play on deeply painful myths and stereotypes about the Jewish community that have a long and troubling history. This shows an incredible lack of understanding of the historical significance of this language and the painful impact it can have on Jewish constituents.”

N.J. legislators Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Anthony Verrelli also condemned McBride’s remark in a joint statement, and said the comments have no place in government or every day life.

In a phone interview, Robert Yudin, a former executive director of the New Jersey-Israel Commission, described McBride’s remark as a “vicious, vile statement,” and said she — as well as Vaughn and Muschal — are anti-Semitic “Jew haters.”

“It is anti-Semitism at its worst," Yudin said. “It’s the antithesis of what our country is supposed to be about. I’m glad to see some elected officials are calling it out for what it is.”

At-large Councilman Blakeley issued a statement Monday morning saying Muschal should resign over his “despicable” comments defending the president. (Earlier in the weekend he also took Vaughn to task for her defensive comments.)

“Councilman Muschal’s unrepentant and unapologetically vile anti-Semitic rhetoric has no place in American political discourse. His comments rely on dangerous anti-Semitic tropes of Jews as parsimonious and swindlers,” Blakeley said, and noted his plan to introduce a censure motion for Muschal’s remarks. “With anti-Semitic attacks and hate crimes on the rise, I cannot stand silent on this issue.”

Later Monday, he told NJ Advance Media: “All three are an embarrassment to the city of Trenton and should resign."

Blakeley said he’s been bashed by his colleagues since he labeled the comments as anti-Semitic, according to a lengthy Facebook post.

“Over the last few days, for simply decrying Anti Semitism, I have been called, by my colleagues, untrustworthy, the Mayor’s flunky, a kid who is out of control, violent, property of the devil and selfish,” he wrote.

“My colleagues asinine comments regarding Jews are just a sneak peak at what I have to put with on a consistent basis. The council chamber is often empty when I feel like I’m the only one fighting these battles, fighting against mistruths, misunderstandings and downright conspiratorial tall tales," Blakeley also wrote in the post.

McBride and Muschal did not immediately return requests for comment Monday.

Trenton West Ward Councilwoman Robin Vaughn.File photo

Jenna Wise may be reached at jwise@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JennaRWise. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

- Reporter Kevin Shea contributed to this story.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.