SCHNEIDER STATEMENT ON HATEFUL RHETORIC PEDDLED IN MICHIGAN SENATE CAMPAIGN

NORTHBROOK, IL - Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement on the hateful rhetoric being peddled in the Michigan Senate Campaign.

“I often quote Rabbi Hillel’s famous maxim: ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me. And if I am only for myself, what am I. And if not now, when.’

“In that vein, I want to share my thoughts on two things happening in Michigan. The first is President Donald Trump’s vile, anti-Muslim attacks on Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Hate speech, bigotry, racism, and stereotyping based on one’s religion or faith must never be tolerated. Such rhetoric is always contemptible, but especially so when coming from the President of the United States of America. Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate nominee, has distanced himself from the President’s attacks. He should forcefully denounce them.

“Contrast that with what President George Washington wrote to the Hebrew Congregation of Providence Rhode Island 236 years ago, August 21, 1790.

“‘The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy—a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship.

“‘It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.’

“‘…May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants—while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid.’

“As with the President’s anti-Muslim attacks, the gross, antisemitic campaign ad by Rebellion PAC supporting Michigan Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has no place in American political discourse. It is rightly being condemned by both Republicans and Democrats.

“Blaming US expenditures supporting Israel—roughly 5/100ths of 1% of the Federal government’s annual budget—for the economic pain in the country is beyond the pale. The reality is — costs are rising because of Trump’s tariffs and poorly thought out policies that have driven up the price of everything from gas to groceries to health care. 

“The ad follows a long tradition, dating back more than 1,000 years, of dangerously scapegoating Jews for a country’s ills. From the Blood Libels of the Middle Ages, to the Black Plague canard, the Spanish Inquisition, the Dreyfus Affair in France, the pogroms of Russia, and the Holocaust, blaming the Jews has far too often led to shunning the Jews, expelling the Jews, or worse, killing the Jews.

“To be clear, the El-Sayed campaign has said the ad was not affiliated with Dr. El-Sayed or his campaign. But the ad is clearly supporting Dr. El-Sayed’s election, and neither he nor his campaign have publicly condemned it. The campaign needs to not only distance itself from the ad, but also from those promoting it. The candidate needs to condemn the ad and call for it to be taken down. I am disappointed that he has not done so, especially as he is promising the Michigan Jewish community that he has their back. His refusal to act shows otherwise.”