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Donald Trump’s neanderthal sons, Eric and Donald Jr., are two of his most stalwart surrogates, embarrassing themselves on a near-daily basis by appearing on television to defend every incoherent comment and policy decision their incompetent father stumbles into like dogs scrambling for some scrap of affection from an abusive owner.
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Today, Eric Trump appeared on Fox News, the president’s favorite far-right propaganda outlet, to attack Democrats and shill for their father’s agenda. During the interview, he also went after Bob Woodward and his new book Fear: Trump in the White House.
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The book has proven to be a major headache for the administration, as it paints a picture of a presidency in freefall, with aides undermining Donald Trump at every turn to forward their own agendas and get a leg up on their competitors.
As such, it’s hardly surprising that Eric Trump targeted Woodward. What was surprising was the manner in which he did. Eric Trump is being criticized for engaging in anti-Semitic dog whistle tactics by claiming that Woodward wrote his book to make “three extra shekels.”
“Don’t you think people look through the fact that you can write a sensational, nonsense book, CNN will definitely have you on there because they love to trash the president. It will mean you sell three extra books, you make three extra shekels. Is that really where we are? I think people see through this,” Trump said.
Shekels are, of course, a historic currency used by ancient Semitic peoples. “Shekel” is also the name of the modern Israeli currency. Prominent members of the media were quick to call out his suspicious choice of words:
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Um, wow. The only people who refer to being paid off as wanting "extra shekels" are Israelis speaking Hebrew and anti-Semites speaking English outside Israel. Eric Trump doesn't speak Hebrew, so you know exactly who he has been reading online. https://t.co/evuub9L1xV
— (((Yair Rosenberg))) (@Yair_Rosenberg) September 12, 2018
Outrageous. If you want to see how the neo-Nazis use the term "shekels" take a quick glance at The Daily Stormer. Eric Trump’s ‘three extra shekels’ attack on Bob Woodward is not some accident any more than Hillary Clinton's image over a Star of David. https://t.co/DyJTcqyX4H
— (((JonathanWeisman))) (@jonathanweisman) September 12, 2018
I can't think of any reason–other than the odious one–why Eric Trump would use "shekels" instead of "dollars," "bucks," "clams," "greenbacks," or "smackers." https://t.co/5iKsniwPrY
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) September 12, 2018
By denoting that Woodward was looking for “shekels,” Eric Trump seems to be playing into the bigoted conspiracy theory that Jewish people secretly control the world media. It’s long been a trope on the white nationalist and neo-nazi right. While Woodward himself doesn’t identify as Jewish, it appears Eric Trump is implying he is looking for money from an international Jewish cabal. It’s a detestable dog whistle.
Watch his remarks:
