Latest news with #HolocaustMemorialCouncil
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
President Trump appoints Real Housewives star to Holocaust Memorial board after he fired Biden-era members
Real Housewives of New Jersey alum Sigalit 'Siggy' Flicker has been appointed to the Holocaust Memorial Council by President Donald Trump. The president announced the appointment of the Bravo alum and four others via his Truth Social platform Tuesday: 'They are all strong supporters of Israel, and will ensure we NEVER FORGET. Congratulations to all!' The five new members replace Biden-era appointees on the council whose employment Trump terminated April 29. Flicker's appointment came just more than a year after her son Tyler Campanella was arrested in connection with on five misdemeanor charges in connection with the January 6, 2021 attacks on the U.S. Capitol. Campanella, according to court documented reviewed by NBC News, was taken into custody in New York City more than three years after the group effort to overturn 2020 presidential election results in which President Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump. Campanella had been seen in social media photos Flicker, 56, had posted to her social media pages, according to an FBI affidavit. She captioned one image, 'I love patriots so much. Stay safe Tyler. We love you.' Flicker also posted the hashtag #StoptheSteal and emojis on her posts, the FBI said. Campanella's phone was inside of the U.S. Capitol on the day of the attacks, according to the FBI, which cited phone records it had subpoenaed in their probe. The account linked to the phone was with an auto dealership called Bayside Chrysler, which employed Campanella in its sales department, according to the FBI. According to NBC News, footage culled from inside of the Capitol during the melee 'appears to show the man federal authorities identified as Campanella entering then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi's suite, and even walking into the room where Pelosi's laptop was stolen.' Flicker, who appeared on the seventh and eighth seasons of the Bravo series, is an ardent supporter of Trump's, as she identifies herself as an 'Israeli/American Patriot' with the hashtag #MAGA on her Instagram page, which has more than 644,000 followers. Her main photo on her account is a picture of her standing next to Trump, holding the Israeli flag. Other notable names in Trump orbit she's seen posing with in pictures on her page include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Trump's current lawyer Alina Habba. She is also seen in multiple selfies posing outside of Trump's private jet. No evidence exists that Flicker herself was at the Caption the day of the attacks, which led to the deaths of seven people, according to a bipartisan Senate report cited in The New York Times in October of 2022. Flicker denied being in Washington D.C. during the timeframe of the attacks in a January 13, 2021 video she put on her Instagram account, urging followers not to 'believe all the bulls**t that's out there. She said, 'I'm getting fake news alerts again! Supposedly they're saying that I was at the Capitol on January 6 for the rally. Not me. But the girl who, I don't know what picture's circulating around, she better be pretty.' Flicker continued in the clip, 'I've been in Florida since December 3rd. Headed back to Jersey soon. Hey, but you know what I have to say? Just keep me relevant, that's all I have to say!'
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Trump admin removes Doug Emhoff, other Biden picks from Holocaust Memorial Council
Trump admin removes Doug Emhoff, other Biden picks from Holocaust Memorial Council Show Caption Hide Caption World marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, it's been 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp by the Soviet army in 1945. Fox - 32 Chicago Doug Emhoff, husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris and the first Jewish spouse to a president or vice president, has been removed from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council along with other Biden appointees by the Trump administration. The council represents the board of trustees that oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., the country's official memorial for the tragedy. Emhoff is one of multiple senior Biden officials who received notice that they were being dismissed just three months into what is usually a five-year appointment. 'Today, I was informed of my removal from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council,' Emhoff said in a statement on April 29. 'Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized. To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous − and it dishonors the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve.' Biden pick dismissed just months into five-year appointment Described as a "nonpartisan federal, educational institution," the museum usually receives presidential appointees for a half-decade term. In January, a dozen Biden officials were announced as new members of the committee. Five of them, including Emhoff, received emails from Mary Sprowls of the White House Presidential Personnel Office on Tuesday, April 29, reported the New York Times. 'On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council is terminated, effective immediately,' the email said, per the Times. 'Thank you for your service.' Terminated appointees included former chief of staff, Ron Klain; former labor secretary Tom Perez; top Obama and Biden domestic policy adviser Susan Rice; and Jill Biden's senior adviser, Anthony Bernal, reported the Times. Several non-White House appointees told the outlet they had not received termination letters. A number of the removed members are known for their work combating antisemitism, such as Rice's involvement in the May 2023 launch of the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to USA TODAY that, 'President Trump looks forward to appointing new individuals who will not only continue to honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust, but who are also steadfast supporters of the State of Israel.' The White House did not respond to follow-up questions asking for clarification as to why it chose to dismiss the members it did, or what being a "steadfast supporter of the State of Israel" entails. 'Never happened since the first Council was established in 1980' Critics have expressed concern that this decision is another on Trump's warpath of retribution aimed at dissenters or those perceived to be associated with them. The administration has removed or attempted to remove Biden-appointed and Democratic officials across government positions on a large scale since taking office in January. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said removing the appointees with no explanation "risks politicizing a vital institution" and that the museum and its council "must remain above politics." "At a time of rising antisemitism and in the face of expanding Holocaust denialism and distortion, we should be uniting to preserve historical truth," he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "While it's true that the White House has the privilege to appoint and dismiss members to such bodies, the latter prerogative should be used with caution and only in the most egregious situations." The group hopes the administration will reconsider or at least explain its position, he continued. Andy Hollinger, a museum spokesperson, previously told CNN in early 2021 that the Biden administration had not moved to remove any Trump appointees from the council amid other dismissals elsewhere, saying, "To my knowledge, this has never happened since the first Council was established in 1980." However, the museum's statement on April 29 did not mention the removals. 'At this time of high antisemitism and Holocaust distortion and denial, the museum is gratified that our visitation is robust and demand for Holocaust education is increasing,' it said. 'We look forward to continuing to advance our vitally important mission as we work with the Trump administration.'
Epoch Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Trump Dismisses Some Holocaust Memorial Council Members, Including Doug Emhoff
President Donald Trump has dismissed some members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, the White House confirmed on April 30. 'President Trump looks forward to appointing new individuals who will not only continue to honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust, but who are also steadfast supporters of the State of Israel,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Epoch Times in an email. Doug Emhoff, the former second gentleman, said in a statement that he was among the members who were dismissed. 'Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized,' Emhoff The Holocaust Memorial Council, established by Congress in 1980, oversees the museum. It consists of 55 members appointed by the president, in addition to members from the Senate, House of Representatives, and departments of Education, Interior, and State. The members usually serve for five years. Emhoff and some other members were appointed by President Joe Biden while he was in office. Emhoff is the husband of Kamala Harris, who was Biden's vice president. Related Stories 3/3/2025 1/27/2025 The museum, which opened in Washington in 1993 and features various exhibits that educate visitors about the Holocaust, is a nonprofit funded through private contributions and government funding. It received $67 million in fiscal year 2024 from the government. Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, While the White House can appoint and dismiss members, dismissal should only happen 'in the most egregious situations,' he said. Greenblatt urged officials to offer an explanation for the dismissals and to reconsider the action. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), a member of the Holocaust Memorial Council, also decried the dismissals, calling them in a statement to news outlets 'an attempt to politicize an institution dedicated to remembering one of the worst atrocities in our history and hurts our efforts to educate future generations.' The museum said in a statement: 'At this time of high antisemitism and Holocaust distortion and denial, the museum is gratified that our visitation is robust and demand for Holocaust education is increasing. We look forward to continuing to advance our vitally important mission as we work with the Trump administration.'
Axios
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Trump fires Doug Emhoff, other Biden appointees from Holocaust museum board
The Trump administration began firing members of the Biden -appointed Holocaust Memorial Council — including Doug Emhoff, the husband of former Vice President Harris confirmed Tuesday. Why it matters: Their removal from the board that oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C. is the latest example of President Trump firing people who were appointed to boards by his predecessor as he carries out threats of retribution. Driving the news: Mary Sprowls, who works in the White House Presidential Personnel Office, emailed several of the Biden appointees to inform them that their positions on the council had been "terminated, effective immediately," the New York Times first reported. Zoom in: Emhoff confirmed his removal from the council in a statement posted to X on Tuesday. "Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized," said the former second gentleman, who is Jewish and has railed against rising antisemitism in the U.S. "To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous – and it dishonors the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve," he added. "No divisive political decision will ever shake my commitment to Holocaust remembrance and education or to combatting hate and antisemitism." What they're saying: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an emailed statement that Trump "looks forward to appointing new individuals who will not only continue to honor the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust, but who are also steadfast supporters of the State of Israel." The museum said in a media statement first that at "this time of high antisemitism and Holocaust distortion and denial, the Museum is gratified that our visitation is robust and demand for Holocaust education is increasing."
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Doug Emhoff lashes out after Trump removes him from Holocaust Memorial Council
Former Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff lashed out at the Trump administration, accusing it of politicizing the Holocaust and dishonoring the memory of six million murdered Jews after he was removed from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. The Holocaust Memorial Council oversees the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Most of the members of the council are appointed by the president and serve five-year terms. Emhoff, who is Jewish and is married to former Vice President Kamala Harris, was appointed to the council by former President Joe Biden. Along with Emhoff, the Trump administration also removed several other council members appointed by Biden, according to The Hill. After receiving news of his dismissal from the council, Emhoff took to social media to slam the administration, saying it was turning "one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue." Media Personality Steve Hilton Unleashes On 'Failed And Rejected' Kamala Harris At Campaign Launch Read On The Fox News App "Today, I was informed of my removal from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council," he said. "Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized. To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous – and it dishonors the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve." Emhoff said that despite his removal, he would continue to speak out against hate "in all its forms." "No divisive political decision will ever shake my commitment to Holocaust remembrance and education or combatting hate and antisemitism," he said, adding: "I will continue to speak out, to educate, and to fight hate in all its forms – because silence is never an option." Emhoff has previously been criticized for getting basic facts wrong about the Jewish religion, such as the origin of one of its most significant feasts, Hanukkah. Meanwhile, both his wife and Biden took heavy criticism for not being more supportive of Israel and its war against Hamas after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. Ex-vp Harris Returns To Politics To Headline Dnc Fundraiser With Tickets Starting At $25,000 Emhoff has also accused President Donald Trump of being a "threat" to Jews. At a speech in Pittsburgh during the 2024 presidential campaign, Emhoff said: "Whenever chaos and cruelty are given a green light, Jew-hatred is historically not far behind." He added, "That matters today because Donald Trump is nothing if not an agent of chaos and cruelty." In his first 100 days in office, however, Trump has made combating antisemitism, especially on college campuses, a major focus. Among other actions, the Trump Department of Homeland Security has arrested Hamas sympathizers on college campuses who they say pose a threat to national security. The administration has also moved to pull funding from universities, including Harvard, unless they reform their governing processes and change their international admissions processes to avoid admitting students who are "hostile" to American values or support terrorism or antisemitism. In response to a request for comment by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum said: "At this time of high antisemitism and Holocaust distortion and denial, the Museum is gratified that our visitation is robust and demand for Holocaust education is increasing." The representative added, "We look forward to continuing to advance our vitally important mission as we work with the Trump Administration." Fox News Digital's Rachel Wolf, Morgan Phillips and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. Original article source: Doug Emhoff lashes out after Trump removes him from Holocaust Memorial Council
