Al Franken Blasts Final Trump Campaign Ad for Anti-Semitism
Former "Saturday Night Live" cast member turned United States Senator Al Franken (D-MN) has strong words for a campaign ad for Donald Trump that he (and others) deem to be anti-Semitic.
A two-minute ad released on November 6 by the Trump campaign titled "Donald Trump's Argument for America" is raising eyebrows over its subtle and not so subtle anti-Semitism that Franken is likening to a document distributed in Nazi Germany that fabricated plans for Jewish global domination.
The Washington Post notes that in the Trump ad that decries the political and economic forces that the Trump voiceover says "bled the country dry," there are images of prominent American Jews including Janet Yellen, the chair of the Federal Reserve, business magnate George Soros and Lloyd Blankfein, the CEO and chairman of Goldman Sachs.
"When I saw the ad I thought that this was something of a German Shepherd whistle, a dog whistle, to a certain group in the United States," Franken told CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday. "I'm Jewish, so maybe I'm sensitive to it. It had an Elders of Zion feeling to it, an international banking conspiracy to it and then a number of Jews" are pictured. Although it was fraudulent, it was required reading for schoolchildren under the Third Reich.
"The Protocol of the Elders of Zion" mentioned by Franken was a document that purported to be the minutes of a meeting of Jewish leaders talking about controlling the media and global economies.
"It's an appeal to some of the worst elements of our country. Some who are not sensitive to that may not see that, but that's the conclusion I draw."
Franken also blasted Trump's weekend trip to Minnesota where he spoke out against Somalian refugees who have taken up residence in the state.
Taking to Facebook, Franken accused the GOP nominee of stirring up xenophobia.
"Donald J. Trump came to Minnesota today and used his time to go after our vibrant Somali community," Franken wrote. "He spewed his hateful vitriol and insulted a group of Minnesotans that I am proud to represent every day in the United States Senate.
Elected officials need to be as good as the diverse people we serve.
Donald Trump is not worthy of serving our Somali-American community here in Minnesota, or anyone in our nation."