Politics

NYT’s Paul Krugman Blames Trump For Deadly Synagogue Shooting

President_Donald_Trump | circa February 2018 | Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead

New York Times columnist and economist Paul Krugman suggested President Donald Trump was to blame for “white supremacist terrorism” shortly after Pittsburgh police arrested a suspect in a deadly synagogue shooting.

Linking to an article in which Trump is quoted warning of “violence” if Democrats won more seats than Republicans in the midterm elections, Krugman sarcastically tweeted “[b]ut none of the white supremacist terrorism has anything to do with Trump, oh no.”

But none of the white supremacist terrorism has anything to do with Trump, oh no https://t.co/fXHi6hN6sI

— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) October 27, 2018

Just before that, Krugman retweeted reporter Laura Rozen, who said suspected synagogue shooter Robert Bowers blamed a Jewish resettlement organization for the caravan of migrants from Central America moving towards the U.S.-Mexico border.

Krugman said Bowers’ claim was “what Steve King was endorsing when he interviewed with an anti-Semitic Austrian web site” was “implicit in much of the ‘George Soros financed the caravan’ stuff — which is basically what Trump is selling.”

It’s what Steve King was endorsing when he interviewed with an anti-Semitic Austrian web site, and it’s implicit in much of the “George Soros financed the caravan” stuff — which is basically what Trump is selling 2/ https://t.co/HhDUU23BL7

— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) October 27, 2018

Soros, a Hungarian-born business mogul and major Democratic donor, is Jewish. As a child, Soros hid from the brutal Nazi regime by posing as the Christian godson of a Hungarian official, according to the Jewish Virtual Library.

On Saturday morning, suspected shooter Bowers allegedly opened fire in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing at least eight and wounding more, according to law enforcement officials.

#BREAKING: Suspect has surrendered. He is injured. Here is the scene just a few blocks away from the synagogue. At least 8 people killed @KDKA pic.twitter.com/AwhjC3iyH4

— Meghan Schiller (@MeghanKDKA) October 27, 2018

The suspected shooter surrendered to police after a shoot out that wounded at least three police officers, according to reports. Journalists on Twitter were quick to scour Bowers’ social media pages, finding anti-Semitic posts.

Bowers also expressed dislike for Trump, saying in at least one post he did not vote for the president. About two days before the shooting, Bowers claimed Trump was controlled by Jews.

Shortly before the shooting, Bowers posted on social media: “Screw your optics, I’m going in.” In that same post, he blamed the resettlement group HIAS for bringing “in invaders that kill our people.”

Profile page. pic.twitter.com/HFB1BDbboh

— Nick Monroe (@nickmon1112) October 27, 2018

Trump administration officials were quick to condemn the shooting and express their condolences for the victims.

Watching the events unfolding in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement on the scene. People in Squirrel Hill area should remain sheltered. Looks like multiple fatalities. Beware of active shooter. God Bless All!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2018

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