Trump widely condemned for deploying 'Palestinian' as racial slur against Jewish senator

US President Donald Trump this week has been widely condemned for calling Jewish Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer “a Palestinian” - a term he has repeatedly used as a slur against the New York senator for not being "loyal" enough to Israel.

During Wednesday's press conference at the Oval Office with Ireland's Prime Minister Michael Martin, a press member asked Trump about a potential government shutdown. The president warned that the Democratic Party would be blamed if it did not vote for the bill that would block the shutdown from happening, putting Schumer in the spotlight for his position as the minority leader. 

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s become a Palestinian,” Trump said. “He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore. He’s a Palestinian.”

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is “not Jewish anymore,” stating that “he's become a Palestinian.”

Muslim and Jewish advocacy groups in the US have condemned Trump, saying that he used the word “Palestinian” as a slur pic.twitter.com/xq4aoPuLjn

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) March 13, 2025

This is not the first time that Trump has called Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the US, a Palestinian, intended as an insult. Last June, when asked about Israel’s war on Gaza, Trump said that Israel had lost support in the US Congress and that Schumer has "become like a Palestinian" for publicly criticising Israel.

At another point during his presidential election campaign, Trump also falsely said that Schumer was "a proud member of Hamas". 

Trump's use of the word "Palestinian" as an insult has received backlash from various civil rights groups as well as from the public on social media. 

“President Trump’s use of the term ‘Palestinian’ as a racial slur is offensive and beneath the dignity of his office," Cair national executive director Nihad Awad said in a statement. 

"He should apologize to the Palestinian and American people. It is the continuing dehumanization of the Palestinian people that has resulted in horrific hate crimes against Palestinian Americans, the US-enabled genocide in Gaza, and decades of denial of Palestinian human rights by successive presidential administrations.”

Palestinian-American journalist Laila al-Arian said in a post on X that "when Trump uses 'Palestinian' as a slur, he puts all Palestinians in danger". 

A 6 year old Palestinian boy was killed and 3 Palestinian students shot during the previous administration because of dehumanizing language. When Trump uses “Palestinian” as a slur, he puts all Palestinians in danger. https://t.co/WrlGpbuw8c

— Laila Al-Arian (@LailaAlarian) March 13, 2025

Palestinian-American political analyst Omar Baddar also took to X to condemn Trump for his comment, writing that Trump was being "explicit" about viewing Palestinians "as the enemy".

"Even tepid pushback to Trump's assault on the First Amendment makes one 'a Palestinian' in Trump's eyes," Baddar continued. "Just a remarkable level of racism & dehumanization on full display for everyone to see." 

One social media account on X recalled the time that former President Barack Obama was "accused" of being an Arab during the 2008 presidential election campaign. The late Congressman John McMain defended Obama by replying that he wasn't an Arab, but "he was a decent man". 

"As if being an Arab, or in this case Palestinian, is some horrifically evil thing," the social media user continued. "All this does is legitimize, normalize and perpetuate the Zionist racist mania."

In addition to the racist undertones of Trump's use of "Palestinian" as a slur, Jewish Americans have rallied online to condemn the president for measuring Schumer's "Jewishness" according to his support for Israel.

I know Trump means it as an insult but calling a Jewish person Palestinian isn’t insulting. Caring about Palestinians or criticizing Israel doesn’t make us any less Jewish https://t.co/B1WPHpB9q8

— Dr. Mia Brett (@QueenMab87) March 12, 2025

Another social media user pointed out that "in his twisted way", Trump was weaponising racism against Palestinians

"Trump, in his twisted way, is pinning a Palestinian Yellow Star on a prominent Jew, declaring the Jew undeserving of his Jewishness and thus as degenerate as a…Palestinian," the X account posted. "The mashup of anti-semitism and anti-Palestinian racism is like a platonic ideal of gonzo, neo-fascism."

Donald Trump is back to using "Palestinian" as a slur and invoking the trope that someone cannot be Jewish unless they are — according to him — sufficiently in support of the Israeli government https://t.co/u1mfi5EJYg

— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) March 12, 2025

While the majority of the criticism was aimed towards Trump's racism towards Palestinians, others also say that Trump's accusations of Schumer not being "supportive" enough of Israel are false. 

Schumer, who has referred to himself as "a staunch defender of Israel", has long been a target of criticism from the Palestine movement due to his close relations with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee - from which he has reportedly received more than 1.7m dollars, according to the nonprofit, Open Secrets. 

Trump's comments also came the day after Schumer released a statement regarding the arrest and potential deportation of Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate student, Mahmoud Khalil. Many say his remarks were too late and not strong enough in opposition to the Trump administration.

"Schumer smeared Mahmoud and Trump still calls him not Jewish," one social media user posted on X. "This is actual antisemitism. Calling for Palestinian liberation is not. This admin doesn’t give a f about Jews and considers Palestinian a slur."