Richard Grenell, a gay Trump official, is linked to a group that has been behind an antisemitic campaign.
Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, currently RNC advisor, speaks at the Republican National Convention in Washington, D.C. Photo by USA TODAY NETWORK, via Imagn Content Services, LLC, via IMAGN Images
Grenell has not responded to inquiries from The New York Times, the publication that first reported his connection. Grenell hasn’t responded to inquiries from The New York Times, the publication that first noted his connection.
The ads all tout Vice Presiden Kamala Harris’ support of Israel and her marriage to Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, a man who would become the first Jewish presidential spouse if she’s elected president. Super PAC aired ads around Dearborn, Michigan – a heavily Arab American Muslim area that spawned “Uncommitted Movement”, a protest to force Harris and the Biden administration to stop their continued support for Israel amid its attacks on Palestinian civilians. As such, the ads are intended to anger Muslim and Arab-American voters into not supporting Harris.
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One ad states, “Vice President Harris has chosen a side, the right side…. She is with Israel and Jewish people. She has done so …. Harris hosted Netanyahu at the White House when (Israeli leader Benjamin) Netanyahu visited Washington. Harris held them accountable when they stood up in support of Gaza as supporters of a Free Palestine. And supporters of a free Palestine? They hate her. We can trust that she’ll always support Israel.” We can trust she’ll always support Israel.”
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Another ad says, “This November, let’s make history. Together, let’s put a pro-Israel president into the White House. The Future Coalition PAC spent $83,000 to broadcast seven similar ads online. According to the Google Ads Transparency Center, the ads received over 4.2 millions views. While the ads appear pro-Israel and pro-Jewish, they are being used to inflame antisemitic and anti-Jewish feelings among tens and thousands of Muslim and Arab American voters and voters who disagree with current U.S. policies favoring Israel. These voters could collectively help former President Donald Trump win Michigan if they decide not to support Harris.
The Future Coalition PAC is not associated with The Future Coalition, a youth-activist organization that has denounced the PAC’s “anti-Semitic and hateful advertisements.”
Google Ad Transparency Center
An image showing six of the Future Coalition Super PAC’s ads as well as the money and viewing statistics behind them.
According to Federal Election Commission documents, the Future Coalition PAC formed in July. Cabell Hobbs was the group’s treasurer and also worked as treasurer of a super-PAC that supported Florida Governor. CNN reported that Ron DeSantis will run for president in 2024. The New York Times reported that Richard Grenell is the leader of this group. Grenell has not publicly commented on either group’s ties. Grenell was a conservative meddler and German officials were against his ambassadorship. When Trump named him the acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in 2020, Grenell became the first out gay man to hold a Cabinet-level position.
Although Grenell claimed in August 2020 that “President Trump is the most pro-gay president in American history,” nothing backs up that claim. Grenell claimed that he and Trump worked together on a campaign in order to end criminalization of homosexuality worldwide, but this campaign did not seem to have any effect. Grenell, who has been in Trump’s administration since Trump’s loss in 2020, has repeated Trump’s lie about the “stolen election” being due to a nationwide conspiracy of voter fraudulent that occurred only in the states Trump lost. He also opposes the Equality Act legislation which would provide federal LGBTQ+ protections from discrimination, claiming that it was an attack on religion. Harris also stated that Palestine should have its own state along with Israel, as well as the right to security and sovereignty. However, pro-Palestinian activist and the Uncommitted Movement demand that Harris end all weapons sales to Israel. They also want her to explain why her administration will be different from Biden’s in terms of Israeli-Palestinian relationships. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that Israeli attacks have resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians. Human rights groups have accused Israel of attacking unarmed individuals, children, vital civilian infrastructure, schools, hospitals, refugee camps and foreign aid workers.
Abbas Alawieh, co-founder of the Uncommitted Movement, said his organization is working to build a mass antiwar coalition between key Democratic voting groups, including unions, youth-led, black-led, Jewish-led and Arab-led organizations that can continue to pressure Harris and Biden.“It’s clear that the pro-war side in our country has a whole lot of power when the first time Vice President Harris is speaking as the Democratic Party’s nominee, she talks about wanting the most lethal military in the entire world,” Alawieh told Jacobin. “The pro war side is working overtime and they’re getting this type of maximalist rhetoric from Democratic Party leaders that is out-of-touch with the pro peace sentiments of most Democratic voters …. They’re spending more money than they ever have trying to obfuscate this issue and trying to eliminate any champions of peace or of Palestinian human rights.”
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