Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu boldly argued Monday during a panel discussion on CNN’s “NewsNight” that Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) are “antisemitic” for joining college protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.
The Republican lobbed the accusation after fellow political commentator Maria Cardona argued President Donald Trump is to blame for the recent antisemitic attacks across the U.S., as a result of his support for white supremacist groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.
“That is absolutely nuts. You guys are barely scratching the surface here,” Sununu replied on Monday.
“This isn’t just about; we need more Democrats to condemn what’s happening,” he continued. “How about let’s get Democrats not joining in on it? How about AOC and Representative Omar don’t join those college campuses?”
Ocasio-Cortez and Omar have criticized Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza to varying degrees: both have called it a “genocide,” while Omar physically joined Columbia University’s demonstration last year and saw her own daughter arrested for participating.
Sununu argued that the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. “starts on the college campuses” and “empowers people to go beyond” words. The panel had been discussing Sunday’s attack in Boulder, Colorado, where a man yelling “Free Palestine” injured eight people.
“I want to be a little bit more specific about what we’re talking about here,” said host Abby Phillip.
“I definitely think, to the congressman’s point, there are specific things that are being said on these campuses that are antisemitic,” she added. “But the idea that AOC and … Omar are engaging in those activities, I’m not sure that there’s a lot of evidence of that.”
Sununu said, “They showed up on those campuses. They spoke at the campuses!”
Phillip replied, “But here’s what I’m saying — do you understand what I’m saying? If they show up on college campuses to protest the situation in Gaza, is that, are you saying, automatically the same thing as uttering antisemitic words and using antisemitic language?”
To which Sununu had a very plain response. “Yes, they’re antisemitic,” he said. “Make no mistake about it, this is all based on antisemitism.”
When asked what specific evidence he might have that the congresswomen are antisemitic, beyond merely attending demonstrations or criticizing the Israeli government’s relentless bombardment of Gaza, Sununu baselessly replied: “Supporting terrorists?”
The former lawmaker’s argument has since been shredded on social media, as neither Omar nor Ocasio-Cortez has ever endorsed terrorists. Both have criticized Israel’s military campaign, but also publicly denounced Hamas, as well as Sunday’s attack in Boulder.
Phillip said regarding Omar and Ocasio-Cortez, “There’s a difference between protesting and saying and doing antisemitic things.”
