‘You’re Jewish and Support Israel’: Sorkin Confronts Bill Ackman on Supporting Trump Despite Alleged Hitler Praise
Squawk Box co-host Andrew Ross Sorkin pressed billionaire Bill Ackman for his support of Donald Trump despite his alleged praise of Adolf Hitler.
On Tuesday, The New York Times released audio of Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly saying Trump told him saying Hitler “did some good things.” Hours prior, The Atlantic published a report claiming Trump once asked why his generals weren’t loyal to him like “Hitler’s generals.”
Appearing on Squawk Box on Wednesday, Ackman — who’s Jewish — brushed Kelly’s comments off as “one person stating a series of things.”
SORKIN: First of all, you were a longtime Democrat. You’ve supported Democrats. We talked about this.
ACKMAN: I would say I’ve always been a centrist, but I’ve supported more Democrats by far than Republicans.
SORKIN: I just want to read you [something]. This is John Kelly, the former chief of staff of Trump. He worked with him directly and he says that, “In many cases, I would agree with some of his policies.” So, you agree with the policy piece of this that I think Trump is presenting; but he says, “It’s very dangerous. It’s a dangerous thing to have the wrong person elected in high office.” He goes on to say in his opinion, he believes that Trump “meets the definition of a fascist, would govern like a dictator if allowed, and has no understanding of the constitution or the concept of the rule of law.” He goes on to say that Trump had made “admiring statements to him about Hitler.” You’re Jewish and care about Israel [Trump] had expressed contempt for disabled veterans and had characterized those who died on the battlefield for the U.S. as “losers and suckers.” How do you get your head around that?
ACKMAN: One, it’s one person stating a series of things, which I don’t know —
SORKIN: There are 28 people who have worked for the president — not just in close proximity, but in the oval office with him — who have come out publicly and expressed things of this sort.
JOE KERNEN: Kamala Harris lost 92% of her staff, too.
ACKMAN: I think that’s a relevant point. So, if you want to talk about, you know —
SORKIN: By the way, one piece on that: there are people who would argue that maybe she was not an organized person and was not a good executive in that regard, right? But I don’t know of anybody who came out publicly against Kamala Harris claiming that she was for Hitler, that she was against the Constitution., and that she was calling people who died on the battlefield on our behalf “losers.” Let’s stipulate that!
ACKMAN: Ok, let me address. Number one, I don’t think Trump is for Hitler. I think that’s absurd.
KERNEN: And you know that, so why say it when you know that that’s — you know it’s not true. Why say it?
ACKMAN: So one, Trump’s not for Hitler. Most of Trump’s friends are Jewish. He grew up in the New York City real estate community. He’s got a daughter who’s Jewish, he’s got grandchildren who are Jewish. He was probably the most pro Israel president in terms of committing to do things and actually executing on them —
SORKIN: But what he said!
ACKMAN — you know, moving the embassy, delivering the control of the Golan Heights to Israel. I think it’s absurd.
Watch above via CNBC.
