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Chris Christie faces outrage for saying Donald Trump’s ‘intolerant language and conduct’ contribute to rise in antisemitism

Chris Christie claimed that Donald Trump's 'intolerant language and conduct' gives others 'permission' to behave in the same manner

MENDHAM TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY: Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been facing a furious backlash after stating that former President Donald Trump’s “intolerant” language has fuelled the rise in antisemitism and hate across the country.

The 61-year-old GOP candidate appeared on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ on Sunday, November 26, where he asserted that Trump's "intolerant language and conduct" has given others "permission" to act likewise.

“When you show intolerance towards everyone, which is what he does, you give permission as a leader for others to have their intolerance come out,” Christie said, referring to Trump.

“So intolerance towards anyone encourages intolerance towards everyone. And that’s exactly what’s going on here,” he continued.

Christie, who served as New Jersey’s governor from 2010 to 2018, then continued by accusing university professors, administrators and presidents of being “unwilling to stand up to antisemitism on their campuses.”

“[T]here should be no campus in this country where a Jewish student is afraid to leave their dorm, a Jewish student is afraid to go to their classes, a Jewish student is afraid to go to even have a meal in the dining hall. I mean, that is outrageous and it’s wrong,” he further declared, according to The Hill.

“And so, in the end, look, I think that there have been a lot of people who contributed to it, and I believe Donald Trump’s intolerant language and his intolerant conduct gives others permission to act the same,” he concluded.

Rise in antisemitism after Hamas attack

There has been a nationwide upsurge in antisemitism and Islamophobia since Hamas carried out the surprise October 7 attack, where the Palestinian militant organization bombarded thousands of missiles on Israel and launched dozens of ground attacks.

In retaliation, the Jewish state began pounding Gaza, where more than 11,100 Palestinians have been killed since Hama's October 7 attack.

After weeks of attacks, Israel and Hamas finally agreed to a temporary cease-fire but antisemitism is still on the rise in the US.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that combats hatred and antisemitism, recorded a 388 percent rise in antisemitic occurrences in the two weeks that followed the original attack in comparison to the same period the previous year.

One area that has seen such a rise is on college campuses across the US, where reports of antisemitism have also spiked.

For instance, a Jewish campus organization at Cornell University advised students and staff to avoid the kosher dining hall after a fellow student made dreadful death threats against community members on the internet, per AP News.

Internet reacts to Chris Christie’s remarks

Christie’s remarks have garnered immense social media attention, with users slamming him for accusing Trump of fuelling the rise in antisemitism.

“That’s ridiculous. Can you name anything Trump has said or done that would be considered antisemitic? Christie is just desperate for attention and nobody knows why he’s even running,” one user said.

“Chris Christie is delusional, he actually thinks he can be President, pay him no mind,” a second person claimed. Another person criticized the former Gov, writing, “I disagree. I think Christie is doing everything he can to create even more division within the GOP.”

Another person took a different approach, speculating, “I think Christie makes a lot of noise to get attention. He's an awful candidate and he's chasing the leading vote-getter so he has to be extra noisy. It's American politics 101,” while a fifth questioned the presidential candidate, writing, “Specifically, what did Trump ever say that was antisemitic? You can’t name one thing so stfu.”

“What an incredibly absurd premise!” exclaimed another critic, adding, “You have to be living in an alternative universe to believe that.”