Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff delivers remarks during a roundtable about the rise of antisemitism at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Dec. 7. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff warned Wednesday of an "epidemic of hate" facing the U.S. during a roundtable he convened at the White House.
Driving the news: "There's an epidemic of hate facing our country. We're seeing a rapid rise in antisemitic rhetoric and acts," Emhoff said during the roundtable, which included Jewish leaders and White House officials.
- "Let me be clear: Words matter," Emhoff, who is Jewish, said.
- "People are no longer saying the quiet parts out loud. They are literally screaming them."
- "What's happening now, it's visceral, it's real and that's why this is so personal to me," Emhoff, the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president, added.
The big picture: The event comes in the wake of former President Trump, who last month announced his official 2024 presidential campaign, hosting white nationalist Nick Fuentes at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
- Trump during the same meeting also hosted rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who has made multiple antisemitic comments.
What he's saying: "Antisemitism is dangerous," Emhoff emphasized.
- "We cannot normalize this. We all have an obligation to condemn these vile acts ... all of us cannot stay silent," he said.
- "We know when people refuse to condemn this vile speech and these vile acts ... it only serves to ignite violence — violence among extremists," Emhoff said.
- "I will not remain silent and I'm proud to be Jewish, I'm proud to live openly as a Jew and I'm not afraid."
- "We cannot live in fear, we refuse to be afraid," he said.
Go deeper... Scoop: Bipartisan coalition pushes for national strategy on antisemitism