Rep. Jerry Nadler hits back against GOP efforts to weaponize antisemitism.
Chaos at Columbia University; a fierce debate over antisemitism in Congress; and a major push for a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel.
Perhaps no one is more familiar with the swirl of contentious and intersecting events that consumed this week than Rep. Jerry Nadler.
Nadler has represented a big piece of Manhattan since 1992 and is one of the longest-serving Jewish members of the House. He’s a Columbia University alumnus, having been on campus in 1968 when police cleared Hamilton Hall of anti-Vietnam war protesters. He’s also a close observer of the Middle East and the politics of Israel in the U.S., and he’s a longtime champion of civil liberties as the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
Nadler sat down for an interview on this week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive soon after the House passed the “Antisemitism Awareness Act.” Surprising some people, Nadler had led the opposition to the bill amid fears it would endanger free speech on campus. It passed 320-91, but that was many more “no” votes than he expected.
“It’s very easy to support something that claims to be against antisemitism, and it’s hard to start explaining to your constituents the nuances of why you didn’t,” Nadler said.
He added that the GOP has tried to weaponize antisemitism against Democrats amid the controversy over pro-Palestinian campus protests, even as former President Donald Trump has had dinner with a Holocaust denier. “The Republicans are being total hypocrites,” he said.
Nadler also discussed why Democrats are planning to save Speaker Mike Johnson from a far-right effort to oust him from power, the potential for disruption at the Democratic presidential convention in Chicago, and the one vote Nadler most regrets in the course of his long career.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity with help from Deep Dive producer Kara Tabor.