‘Damn, That Is Some Top Shelf Antisemitism’

Eric Trump is lashing out at veteran Watergate journalist Bob Woodward, and his remarks are drawing accusations of anti-Semitism. Wednesday morning the president’s son charged the author of “Fear” – the latest bombshell book exposing the Trump administration as inept and corrupt – with writing it “to make 3 extra shekels.”

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The shekel is both an ancient and modern-day form of currency in Israel, but it can also evoke ugly old bigoted and anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jewish people.

After a “Fox & Friends” segment attacking Democratic U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California, Trump repeated his version of a stump speech, claiming Democrats have no message, while touting the economy’s performance.

He then pivoted to the elections.

“The anti-law enforcement, high taxes, and the elimination of plastic straws – that’s not a message that’s going to win in November,” the president’s son told the Fox hosts.

Co-host Steve Doocy tripped himself up, talking about Democrats as “the other side” before correcting himself to say, “from you,” to Eric Trump. He also noted that the anonymous New York Times op-ed, combined with Bob Woodward’s book, “Fear,” has thrown the administration into “chaos.”

Eric Trump pushed back.

“Don’t you think people look through the fact, you can write some sensational, nonsense book, CNN will definitely have you on there because they love to trash the president. It’ll mean you sell three extra books, you make three extra shekels, at the behest of the American people, at the behest of our country, that’s doing a phenomenal job by every quantifiable metric. Is that really where we are?”

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ERIC TRUMP attacks Democrats: “Anti-law enforcement, high taxes, and elimination of plastic straws is not a message that will win in November.” ERIC TRUMP then dismisses WOODWARD book as “sensational nonsense” he wrote “to make 3 extra shekels.” pic.twitter.com/GuTXMpPLHG

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 12, 2018



On social media, many expressed disgust over Eric Trump’s remarks, while others directly accused him of anti-Semitism.

“Three extra shekels”

Damn, that is some top shelf antisemitism. — Silence is Political (@kayforaday) September 12, 2018

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Shekels. Interesting word choice by the president’s white supremacist son. An all around ugly human. — No Time for Lies (@RoseAnderson_) September 12, 2018

He does.

He seriously says “shekels”…

These dudes are going for the votes of lonely af innernet addicts. https://t.co/ZJRJOdOzdq — ¢σяяιє (@_ciller_cisses) September 12, 2018

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On tape. 3 extra shekels. What in the everlovin’ fudge is THAT supposed to mean?! Bigots are so twisted https://t.co/oErcec2KvN

— Joshua Cypess (@JoshuaCypess) September 12, 2018

Am just curious why he would use the word shekels – always felt that context of term had an air of anti-semitism about it – like shekels was especially dirty as a form of money — Moist Macro (@moist_macro) September 12, 2018

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I definitely was not expecting the word “shekels,” which I haven’t heard in decades — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 12, 2018

Straight from 4chan. If it was a tweet, it would read, “(((Woodward))) wrote this book to make three extra shekels.” Dogs are barking. — Jeff Keeran (@jeff_off37) September 12, 2018

Thanks to ThinkProgress’ Aaron Rupar for posting the video