Jewish Leaders Say Trump Isn’t Welcome in Pittsburgh Until He Denounces White Nationalism

After a shooter targeted a synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday, local Jewish leaders made a bold statement to President Trump: He has been told in an open letter that he will not be welcome in their city until he denounces white nationalism. The group that publicized the letter is called Bend the Arc, an organization that unites Jewish people across the country in progressive causes. Its members stand in solidarity with all marginalized peoples.

That’s why they made this statement. Bend the Arc writes that the Pittsburgh shooting “is not the first act of terror [Trump] incited against a minority group in our country.” Last week, a bombing suspect was arrested who’s believed to have ties of some kind to Trump’s outrageous rhetoric. Days later, the Pittsburgh shooter attacked a synagogue, killing 11 Jewish elders.

This group and many others believe that Trump is directly correlated to attacks and harassment of LGBTQ+, Muslim, non-white and disabled peoples. For this reason, Jewish leaders give Trump four ultimatums: He must denounce white nationalism, stop endangering minorities and assaulting immigrants, and commit to policies that promote equality for all. Until then, he shouldn’t expect anything from Pittsburgh.

Trump has yet to respond directly—but his Twitter feed is full of xenophobia and media hate this morning.

Many Gang Members and some very bad people are mixed into the Caravan heading to our Southern Border. Please go back, you will not be admitted into the United States unless you go through the legal process. This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2018