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Wednesday, August 12
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Bend the Arc: Three years later, Trump is “carrying the torch” from neo-Nazis in Charlottesville

Jewish activists highlighted comparisons between the rhetoric of neo-Nazis and the President in #VeryFinePeople projections on the RNC headquarters

An image from last night’s projection by Jewish activists on the RNC headquarters. Download more here. Credit: Bend the Arc: Jewish Action.

WASHINGTON – Last night, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action projected quotes on the exterior of the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. to illuminate the spread of white nationalist rhetoric three years after the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville:

“Three years after President Trump refused to fully condemn the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, he now regularly echoes their talking points,” said Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action. “In 2020, the Trump campaign and the broader Republican Party are carrying the torch of the organizers of the Unite the Right rally.”

“In 2017, the images of white supremacists and neo-Nazis brazenly marching in Charlottesville, and the murder of anti-fascist activist Heather Heyer, shocked many Americans. Three years later, their neo-Nazi chants have been turned into talking points by Trump and Republicans running for office, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). Bend the Arc: Jewish Action projected their messages side-by-side to show how united they are in ideology and theme.”

“These aren’t empty words. This far-right rhetoric has fueled real violence against Jews and other communities. We're now just 83 days away from the election, and Jewish Americans and our allies are rising up as one to defeat white nationalism at the ballot box and build a country that is truly for all of us.”

Additional images from the action can be downloaded here. (Credit: Bend the Arc: Jewish Action.)

Below is the full text of the quotes projected on the RNC headquarters:

• MATTHEW HEIMBACH in 2017: “We’re here to stand for Robert E. Lee… We’re here to say ‘we’re here to defend our heritage.’”
  DONALD TRUMP in 2020: “We will never allow an angry mob to tear down our statues, erase our history...”
   
• MATTHEW HEIMBACH in 2017: “The radical left is getting more violent every single day.”
  DONALD TRUMP in 2020: “The radical left wants to tear down everything in its way...”
   
• RICHARD SPENCER in 2017: “We will not be replaced!”
  MATT GAETZ in 2020: “The left wants us to be ashamed of America so they can replace America.”
  [Note: “Replacement” is a racist and antisemitic conspiracy theory that says non-white people are taking over the country and causing a supposed “white genocide.”]
   
• DAVID DUKE in 2017: "The ethnic cleansing of America and the destruction of the American way of life."
  DONALD TRUMP in 2020: “We will defend, protect, and preserve...American way of life.”

For more examples of white nationalist rhetoric spread by Trump, Gaetz, and GOP candidates, visit HowToFightAntisemitism.com — a resource from Bend the Arc: Jewish Action and partners for organizers, the media, and the public, that tracks the spread of deadly antisemitism and conspiracies from far-right extremists and politicians.

In 2020, Bend the Arc is building on its reputation as a leader of the Jewish resistance through its We Rise As One campaign, mobilizing an unprecedented movement of Jews and allies to rise up in solidarity together to defeat white nationalism at the ballot box and hold its champions accountable.

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Bend the Arc: Jewish Action is uniting a movement of tens of thousands of progressive Jews across the country who are fighting for justice and equality for all. We are the only national Jewish organization focused exclusively on social change in the United States.