Curt Schilling to Jake Tapper: Why do Jews back Democrats?

In a bizarre end to an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday, Curt Schilling asked the Jewish host why followers of the faith back Democrats.

“I would like to ask you something as a person who is practicing the Jewish faith and have since you were young, I don't understand, maybe this is the amateur, non-politician in me, I don't understand how people of Jewish faith can back the Democratic Party, which over the last 50 years have been so clearly anti Israel, so clearly anti-Jewish Israel that I don’t know what else need to be done, said or happen — the Democratic Party is aligned with Israel only because we have agreements in place that make them have to be ” Schilling said.


Tapper did not hesitate in responding to the former Red Sox pitcher and World Series champion who is considering a challenge to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2018.

“Well, I don’t speak for Jews and I don’t support the Democratic or Republican Party,” Tapper told Schilling. “I would imagine, just to try to answer your question, one of the reasons many Jews are Democrats has more to do for social welfare programs and that sort of thing than it does for Israel."

The CNN anchor said he knows a lot of “Jews who are strong supporters of Israel and do support the Republican Party,” but again stated calmly that he does not speak for his faith.

After coming under scrutiny for his comments, Schilling doubled-down on them during an interview on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" later Friday. Asked by the host if he wished to clarify his earlier statements, Schilling lashed out.

"I'm apparently an anti-Semite now because I had the gall and the audacity to ask someone of the Jewish faith why or how they believe people of the Jewish faith vote Democrat," the retired baseball star said. "I mean, god forbid I listen to someone of the faith, rather than the media, who clearly are not biased and don't have an agenda."

Pressed by Matthews to explain why he felt Tapper could speak for those who practiced Judaism, Schilling said he was merely "curious" and accused Democrats of similarly overgeneralizing with Christian adherents.

"Liberals do it with Christians all the time," he said. "I'm not going to play the victim game because I'm a white male Christian, which apparently makes me a racist to anybody, that as long as -- if I don't speak out in favor of whatever it is they want me to speak out of."

Schilling was fired from ESPN earlier this year after multiple incendiary comments and an anti-transgender posting on Facebook.