Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

‘It Makes Me Doubt My Party’: Former Clinton Pollster Calls Out Dems For Lacking ‘Backbone’ To Condemn DNC Protests

Doug Schoen and Harris Faulkner

Former Clinton pollster Doug Schoen said that anti-Israel protests in Chicago “could be decisive” in the 2024 election during a Monday Fox News appearance.

Local Islamic leaders have claimed that as many as 100,000 protesters are expected to be in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention to demonstrate against the Biden administration’s actions concerning the war between Israel and Hamas, according to WGN TV, while CNN reported that the number of anti-Israel protesters was expected to be in the “tens of thousands.” Schoen told Fox News host Harris Faulkner that the anti-Israel demonstrations could be like anti-Vietnam War protests at the 1968 Democratic convention, which he said was a factor in then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey losing to Richard Nixon that year.

“I am surprised at the vehemence and the numbers, Harris,” Schoen told Faulkner about reports on the number of protesters expected. “I also participated in what was called a celebratory ’96 convention that helped my client, Bill Clinton, [win], and I also remember ‘68, which played a singular role in the defeat of Hubert Humphrey in that year’s election, so this could be decisive.”

WATCH:

‘It Makes Me Doubt My Party’: Former Clinton Pollster Calls Out Dems For Lacking ‘Backbone’ To Condemn DNC Protests pic.twitter.com/IRoY66WreZ

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 19, 2024

Schoen then criticized the protesters, calling many of them antisemitic and saying that by not condemning them it could cost Democrats votes. Protests have erupted across the country since the war between Hamas and Israel began nearly a year ago, with many protestors at other gatherings resorting to slogans that have connotations of wiping out Israel, while multiple universities and colleges have seen anti-Israel protesters occupy buildings and block Jewish students from parts of campus.

“You can never sate these people, they want Israel eliminated, they want to kill the Jews. The vast majority are antisemites, and to your first question, as a practical political analyst, you are darn straight you can win without them,” Schoen told Faulkner. “Oh, there might be a few voters in Michigan that are potentially at risk because they are Arab voters, but across the country, people want the Democrats to stand up against protests, for law and order and for the state of Israel. And we need the hostages back, we need a peace treaty that works for the only stable democratic ally we have in the Middle East, and I very much hope that my party has a backbone and a spine for both substantive and political reasons.”

Schoen also urged Vice President Kamala Harris to show she supported Israel in “word and deed” after noting former President Donald Trump had released a statement supportive of Israel and opposing Iran and Hamas.

“Do you think she will?” Faulkner asked Schoen about Harris condemning the protestors.

“No, I don’t,” Schoen said. “And I’m worried about that, and it makes me doubt my party in the same way I did in 2016.”