At least one organization had nothing good to say about the condemnation of anti-Semitism by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
The Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect called it a case of “too little, too late.”
In a lengthy post on its Facebook page, the statement by the Center wrote:
“The President’s sudden acknowledgement is a Band-Aid on the cancer of Antisemitism that has infected his own Administration. His statement today is a pathetic asterisk of condescension after weeks in which he and his staff have committed grotesque acts and omissions reflecting Antisemitism, yet day after day have refused to apologize and correct the record.
Make no mistake: The Antisemitism coming out of this Administration is the worst we have ever seen from any Administration. The White House repeatedly refused to mention Jews in its Holocaust remembrance, and had the audacity to take offense when the world pointed out the ramifications of Holocaust denial. And it was only yesterday, President’s Day, that Jewish Community Centers across the nation received bomb threats, and the President said absolutely nothing.
When President Trump responds to Antisemitism proactively and in real time, and without pleas and pressure, that’s when we’ll be able to say this President has turned a corner. This is not that moment.”
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer responded to the charge, saying President Trump has focused on unity since the start of his administration, rather than on hatred.
“The president has made clear since the day he was elected — and frankly going back to the campaign — that he is someone who seeks to unite this country,” he told reporters.
“He has brought a diverse group of folks into his administration, both in terms of actual positions and people that he has sought the advice of. He has been very forceful with his denunciation of people who attack people because of their religion or because or their gender or because of the color of their skin.
“It’s ironic that no matter how many times he talks about this, that it’s never good enough.
“Today, I think, was an unbelievably forceful comment from the president in terms of his denunciation of the actions that are currently targeted toward Jewish community centers, but I think he’s been very clear, previous to this, that he wants to be someone who brings this country together and not divide people, especially in those areas.
“I saw that statement,” Spicer added, referring to the declaration by the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect.
“I wish that they had praised the president for his leadership in this area. Hopefully, as time continues to go by, they’ll recognize his commitment to civil rights, to voting rights, to equality for all Americans.”
But the White House press corps didn’t leave it alone, and continued to revisit the issue over and over for most of the remaining time of the briefing.
Finally, Spicer simply said, “There’s a point at which his position is abundantly clear.”