The Trump administration reinforced its commitment to cracking down on antisemitism in the wake of the shooting deaths of two Israeli embassy employees outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night.
Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, were gunned down outside the museum after attending an event. The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, reportedly shouted "Free, free Palestine" after Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Milgrim, an American, were shot. He admitted to shooting them, witnesses and D.C. law enforcement said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a briefing Thursday about the actions the administration has taken to fight antisemitism. She noted a Jan. 29 executive order by President Donald Trump that led to the Department of Justice forming the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, as well as steps to revoke student visas amid anti-Israel campus protests since Iranian-backed Hamas' terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and the Israeli military's response in the Gaza Strip.
Leavitt's briefing aired live on Newsmax and the Newsmax2 free online streaming platform. She said it was "despicable" that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., refused to comment when asked about the incident Thursday on Capitol Hill. Omar, who was stripped of her post on the House Foreign Affairs Committee because of antisemitic comments, later posted on X that she was "appalled" by the killings.
"Frankly, we have seen a rise in antisemitic protests, pro-Hamas protests, of terrorist sympathizers," Leavitt said. "We saw them on our college campuses, and we have seen the Democrat Party turn a blind eye and, in some cases, actually embrace such antisemitic, illegal behavior. And that's why this administration has done more than any administration in history to crack down on antisemitism.
"As you know, in January, when the president took office, he signed a new executive order to combat antisemitism. He created a commission focused on doing just that. The Justice Department announced their task force, as well. The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has revoked thousands of student visas from campuses where these pro-Palestinian, pro-Hamas terrorists, campus agitators, and violent protests took place. And we've also withheld funding from those very campuses, as well, in an effort to combat antisemitism. So, the president's made it very clear that such hatred will have no place in our country."
Trump condemned the shooting Thursday morning on Truth Social, writing the suspect's actions were "based obviously on antisemitism" and calling for an end to "hatred and radicalism." He also reportedly spoke with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the shooting. Attorney General Pam Bondi also told reporters she spoke with Netanyahu on Wednesday night and "I assured him we were looking into this … all our investigators were working together."
Most of the actions the administration has taken to fight antisemitism have focused on college campuses. The Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday it would terminate $60 million in grants to Harvard University, bringing the total amount of federal money stripped from the university in Trump's second term to nearly $3 billion.
Earlier this month, the administration launched a review into alleged antisemitic activity at the University of Washington and its affiliates after about 30 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on campus. And the administration in March cut $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University amid an antisemitism investigation into the school.
"I can tell you security has been increased here [in D.C.] as of last night," Bondi told reporters. "Our U.S. Marshals are working hand in hand to make sure our embassy is safe, our ambassador is safe, and again, please know that everything we know now — it's an ongoing investigation. Whether you are Jewish or not, be vigilant."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.