Mar-a-Lago Search Sparks Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories Online
This rhetoric also appears on mainstream social media sites like Twitter, where one user alleges that Reinhart “used to work for Jeffrey Epstein” and is part of the “Jew World Order” (a pun related to “New World Order”).
Antisemitic posts about Reinhart also mention Attorney General Merrick Garland as proof that multiple Jewish figures in the government are conspiring against Trump. Users on the anonymous message board 4chan suggest that Jews were also behind Trump’s impeachment, claiming that Reinhart, Garland and Democrat lawyers are trying to “incite a violent reaction” while playing the victim – because, according to them, “nothing makes a Jew happier.”
Similarly, a tweet pointing out Garland and Reinhart references the phrase “they cry out in pain as they strike you” – a trope often used by antisemites to depict Jews as playing the victims as they carry out evil actions.
In a video posted on August 12, 2022, antisemite and conspiracy theorist Brother Nathanael uses a series of offensive slurs to discuss those who approved of the Mar-a-Lago search, describing Garland as “the Jew Garland and his tribe in the political and media hive.”
Far-right influencer Vincent James shared a similar theory on an August 12, 2022, episode of his show The Red Elephants, stating sarcastically that “it just so happens to be the case, which is completely a coincidence, completely random, that Merrick Garland is Jewish and the…the judge that approved the raid is Jewish and…and works with Jeff Epstein who is also Jewish.”
Users share offensive rhetoric in a live chat on Vincent James’ August 12, 2022, stream of “The Red Elephants”
In an earlier stream from August 10, 2022, James and his viewers reference something called “the Jew coup,” insinuating that a group of Jewish government officials including Reinhart are secretly responsible for actions against Trump in order to reclaim their power.
Multiple users on Telegram and Twitter also allege that Reinhart and Garland are both part of a powerful “Jewish mafia” or “Khazarian Jew Mafia,” which is a popular antisemitic and conspiratorial trope.
The hate-filled conspiracy theories surrounding the Mar-a-Lago search has already led to harmful offline effects, which can worsen as more information is revealed. Due to concerns for Reinhart’s safety, his listing was removed from an affiliated court website shortly after his name started to make its way through social media. Reinhart’s synagogue has also been on high alert after users shared his affiliation, which prompted a flood of threatening vitriol that forced them to cancel or relocate services.
The article is published courtesy of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
