Ben Suarato

Protecting Democracy from bigotry at @theJCPA. Former comms & spox @USAID, @RepJudyChu, @CAPAC, @USGLC, & @theDreamCorps. Ask me about the Gin Blossoms.

[Ben Suarato @BenSuarato]

A majority of smugglers agree that hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, according to the latest Pew Pew poll. #MayThe4thBeWithYou

[Jeremy Burton @BurtonJM]

Great to see this collaboration between @NEAToday, its Jewish Affairs Caucus, and @theJCPA.

"The only way to improve our safety is through engagement" - JAC Chair Alyson Brauning

https://t.co/YYnyLBKWXU

[Amy Spitalnick @amyspitalnick]

Swastikas and nooses aren’t “potentially divisive” - they are symbols of racist and antisemitic hate, violence, and genocide. By no longer classifying them as hate symbols, the Coast Guard is doing nothing less than normalizing violent extremism. https://t.co/bbpI1kz9g6

[Jewish Insider @jewishinsider]

@DanielleCoh07 “Antisemitic conspiracy theories and hate that were once fringe have been wholly normalized — thriving in plain sight and amplified by X’s failure to live up to its own policies,” @amyspitalnick, CEO of JCPA, told Jewish Insider.

https://t.co/gtA35Za7nf

[Hadas Gold @Hadas_Gold]

A new year long study says X is the 'go-to' platform for antisemitic content https://t.co/FOFnx2YXlg

[Jewish Council for Public Affairs @theJCPA]

Our CEO Amy Spitalnick in @CNN on our new joint report with the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) documenting how X, formerly Twitter, has become one of the most effective tools for spreading antisemitism in history.

[Amy Spitalnick @amyspitalnick]

A funny thing happened today:

@RepWalberg, Chair of @EdWorkforceCmte, claimed @rweingarten has “not said anything” on antisemitism — while Randi & I were quite literally leading a program on countering antisemitism for @AFTunion members, part of a series: https://t.co/eJgGfjKso0

[Ben Suarato @BenSuarato]

There was a deal. They tore it up. This was a choice.

[JD Vance @JDVance]

Look, I'm seeing this from the inside, and am admittedly biased towards our president (and my friend), but there's a lot of crazy stuff on social media, so I wanted to address some things directly on the Iran issue:

First, POTUS has been amazingly consistent, over 10 years, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Over the last few months, he encouraged his foreign policy team to reach a deal with the Iranians to accomplish this goal. The president has made clear that Iran cannot have uranium enrichment. And he said repeatedly that this would happen one of two ways--the easy way or the "other" way.

Second, I've seen a lot of confusion over the issue of "civilian nuclear power" and "uranium enrichment." These are distinct issues. Iran could have civilian nuclear power without enrichment, but Iran rejected that. Meanwhile, they've enriched uranium far above the level necessary for any civilian purpose. They've been found in violation of their non-proliferation obligations by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is hardly a rightwing organization.

It's one thing to want civilian nuclear energy. It's another thing to demand sophisticated enrichment capacity. And it's still another to cling to enrichment while simultaneously violating basic non-proliferation obligations and enriching right to the point of weapons-grade uranium.

I have yet to see a single good argument for why Iran needed to enrich uranium well above the threshold for civilian use. I've yet to see a single good argument for why Iran was justified in violating its non-proliferation obligations. I've yet to see a single good pushback against the IAEA's findings.

Meanwhile, the president has shown remarkable restraint in keeping our military's focus on protecting our troops and protecting our citizens.

He may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment. That decision ultimately belongs to the president. And of course, people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy.

But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue. And having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish the American people's goals. Whatever he does, that is his focus.

[Ben Suarato @BenSuarato]

The only reason Iran even has a nuclear weapons program is because Trump tore up the JCPOA.

[Axios @axios]

Trump confirms he cautioned Netanyahu against striking Iran https://t.co/I0uws7SChR

[Jewish Council for Public Affairs @theJCPA]

We are horrified, angry, and heartbroken over the murders of two Israeli Embassy staff members in DC last night. Antisemitic hate inevitably leads to antisemitic violence and everyone has an obligation to speak out.

[Tom Dreisbach @TomDreisbach]

President Trump campaigned for office saying, "Antisemitic bigotry has no place in a civilized society."

But multiple Trump administration officials have links to antisemitic extremists.

[Ben Suarato @BenSuarato]

Once again, Trump has no problem embracing violent antisemites when they support him.

If he wanted to stand up to antisemtism, he would.

[Scott MacFarlane @MacFarlaneNews]

White House official confirms Trump had conversation last night with Enrique Tarrio at Mar-a-Lago last night as Trump was walking to his dinner table

On social media, Tarrio said Trump told him to thank the J6ers

[Ron Kampeas @kampeas]

That @marcorubio needs this lesson is 🤦. My God.

[GermanForeignOffice @GermanyDiplo]

@SecRubio This is democracy. This decision is the result of a thorough & independent investigation to protect our Constitution & the rule of law. It is independent courts that will have the final say. We have learnt from our history that rightwing extremism needs to be stopped.

[Ben Suarato @BenSuarato]

If anything should be beyond politics, it is the Holocaust Museum.

[Amy Spitalnick @amyspitalnick]

This administration appears to be doing everything in its power to turn antisemitism into a political wedge — and it makes Jews, and everyone, less safe.

Trump Fires Biden Appointees, Including Doug Emhoff, From Holocaust Museum https://t.co/ojw2VjyKJx

[Ben Suarato @BenSuarato]

Constraining law firms. Ignoring the Supreme Court. Arresting judges. Insisting the constitutional promise of due process is "inconvenient."

What do you think their plan is?

[Ben Suarato @BenSuarato]

@TomDreisbach @EagleEdMartin Even before that, in a July 2024 interview with Hale-Cusanelli, he directly addressed the photos of him dressed as Hitler, calling it "goofing around." https://t.co/ePHhiwYKTt

[Ben Suarato @BenSuarato]

We've really got to stop pretending this is about anyone's safety. It's a nativist fueled purge of immigrants, and it puts us all at risk.

[Adam Small @AdamSmallKSL]

BYU PhD student Suguru Onda just had his student visa revoked without notice. He’s being told to go back to Japan within 15 days because of his alleged criminal history. But he only has two speeding tickets and a fishing citation from 2019 that was dismissed. @kslnewsradio

[Rep. Nadler @RepJerryNadler]

I warmly welcome this powerful statement from an important coalition of Jewish community organizations and strongly agree with their condemnation of the Trump administration’s weaponization of antisemitism to attack higher education and undermine our fragile democracy.

Thank you to @theJCPA for leading this effort and to all of the organizations that signed on.

[Ben Suarato @BenSuarato]

If he did something wrong, there is a process to follow. Make your case. Follow the laws. But just trusting this administration to unilaterally deport people that they don't like while insisting they don't have to justify it to anyone makes us all less safe.

[Acyn @Acyn]

Leavitt: The media outrage over deportation of Abrego Garcia, an ms-13 El Salvadorian illegal alien criminal hiding in Maryland, has been nothing short of despicable. Based on sensationalism of many of the people in this room, you would think we deported a candidate for a father of the year.

[Jewish Council for Public Affairs @theJCPA]

NEW: We’ve brought together a broad coalition of organizations representing mainstream American Jewry, condemning the exploitation of our community’s real concerns about antisemitism to undermine democratic norms and rights and our academic institutions. https://t.co/oDGaesyL4o