Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump backpedaled a tweet he sent out Sunday that appeared to show the Jewish Star of David with the words, “Most Corrupt Candidate Ever” in regards to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Some critics called Trump’s tweet anti-Semitic, but the business mogul fought back against the claims, calling them “ridiculous.”
“These false attacks by Hillary Clinton trying to link the Star of David with a basic star, often used by sheriffs who deal with criminals and criminal behavior, showing an inscription that says ‘Crooked Hillary is the most corrupt candidate ever’ with anti-Semitism is ridiculous,” Trump said in a statement released by his campaign Monday.
Bradd Jaffy of NBC Nightly News grabbed a screenshot before the Trump campaign deleted the tweet.
Trump’s explanation doesn’t explain the image’s origin on a bigoted Twitter feed & website → https://t.co/ud9Lt7YAVn pic.twitter.com/9QRRRSEzdU
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 4, 2016
The tweet was replaced with one that shows a circle where the star used to be. But the points of the old star are still visible at the bottom and upper right-hand side of the circle.
Crooked Hillary — Makes History! #ImWithYou #AmericaFirst pic.twitter.com/PKQhYhMmIX
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2016
Trump campaign Social Media Director Daniel Scavino told CNN Tuesday that, “The sheriff’s badge — which is available under Microsoft’s ‘shapes’ — fit with the theme of corrupt Hillary and that is why I selected it.” The Daily Caller News Foundation was able to corroborate the star’s appearance in Microsoft’s Word program.
Scavino also noted that he has a Jewish wife. While Trump’s daughter Ivanka also converted to Judaism.
“For the [mainstream media] to suggest that I am antisemite is AWFUL,” Scavino wrote in a tweet sent out early Tuesday. “I proudly celebrate holidays w/ my wife’s amazing Jewish family for the past 16 years.”
The Trump campaign said it isn’t sure how the tweet got there. “I”m not sure who tweeted this out,” a Trump aide told CNN.
Trump’s recently ousted campaign manager Corey Lewandowski also came out and supported his former boss, claiming the uproar is little more than “political correctness run amok.”
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