Trump ramps up antisemitism crackdown following killings of Israeli embassy staffers

The Hill

22-05-2025

The White House is ramping up its crackdown on antisemitism in the wake of the Washington shooting that left two young Israeli embassy staffers dead on Wednesday night.
The administration has for months taken action against antisemitic activity, with a particular focus on stripping colleges of funding— most notably Harvard— as a way to address discrimination.
Attorney general Pam Bondi said that as of Thursday, the threat level has been increased for all Americans while talking to reporters outside the Capital Jewish Museum, which was the site of the shooting.
'I can tell you security has been increased here as of last night. Our U.S. Marshalls are working hand in hand to make sure our embassy is safe, our ambassador is safe, and again please know that everything we know now — it's an ongoing investigation,' she said. 'Whether you are Jewish or not, be vigilant.'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at a briefing outlined actions the administration has already taken to combat antisemitism, including an executive order that the president signed to form the 'Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism' and steps to revoke student visas.
The revocation of visas has been widely criticized by those who say it is punishing people in the United States who are engaging in free speech.
Trump on Thursday morning condemned the shooting, saying the suspect's actions were 'based obviously on antisemitism' and calling for an end to 'hatred and radicalism.' The president also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the shooting.
The suspect, identified as Elias Rodriguez, approached a group of four individuals leaving a museum event and shot and killed the two victims at close range, law enforcement officials said. The suspect then walked into the museum, was apprehended and after he was in custody, shouted, 'Free, free Palestine,.'
The two victims have been identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim.
'The evil of antisemitism must be eradicated from our society,' Leavitt told reporters, adding that the Department of Justice will be prosecuting the perpetrator.
Bondi also spoke with Netanyahu after the shooting and, according to the Israeli leader's office, she conveyed to him that Trump 'is involved in managing the event, and that the U.S. will bring the murderer to justice.'
The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of terror and deputy director Dan Bongino said on X that the penalties against the shooter 'will be harsh as we tighten up this investigation and run down any additional leads.'
Most of the actions taken by the administration to fight antisemitism have been focused on college campuses and have been divisive.
The administration has threatened \60 colleges and universities to have their federal funding cut if they did not do more to shield their Jewish students on campus from discrimination. Trump also recently suggested pulling the tax-exempt status of any college with antisemitism problems on the 'The Hugh Hewitt Show.'
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week it would be terminating $60 million in grants to Harvard, bringing the total amount of federal money taken away from the university under Trump to near $3 billion.
Earlier this month, the administration launched a review into alleged recent antisemitic activity at the University of Washington and its affiliates after about 30 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on campus. And, the administration is March cut $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University amid an antisemitism probe into the school.
Leavitt mentioned antisemitic crack downs on college campuses on Thursday, as well as the response from Democrats. She called it 'despicable' that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) did not answer a question at the U.S. Capitol about the shooting and later posted on X that she was 'appalled' by it.
'Frankly, we have seen a rise in antisemitic protests, pro-Hamas protests, of terrorist sympathizers,' the press secretary said. 'We saw them on our college campuses and we have seen the Democrat party turn a blind eye and, in some cases, actually embrace such antisemitic, illegal behavior. And that's why this administration has done more than any administration in history to crack down on antisemitism.'
In a recent Jewish Voters Resource Center poll, 64 percent of respondents said they either 'strongly disapprove' or 'somewhat disapprove' when it comes to what Trump is doing combatting antisemitism.