Tyler Cherry, recently promoted to White House Associate Communications Director, has ignited controversy over his past antisemitic social media posts. Cherry, who previously worked at the Department of Interior, made headlines with tweets supporting the anti-Israel movement and comparing modern policing to slave patrols.
After his promotion, these posts resurfaced, prompting Cherry to state that his past views do not reflect his current stance. Fox News reported that Cherry posted, “Past social media posts from when I was younger do not reflect my current views. Period." He affirmed his commitment to the administration’s climate and environmental policies, trying to distance himself from the earlier incendiary remarks.
As reported by JNS, Eitan Fischberger, an Israel-based analyst, brought attention to Cherry’s previous comments, revealing his support for Linda Sarsour, an activist accused of antisemitism, and his calls to end U.S. weapons sales to Israel. Cherry's tweets included inflammatory statements such as “Cheersing [sic] in bars to ending the occupation of Palestine” and calling U.S. policing a “direct evolution of slave patrols.”
The Republican Jewish Coalition and StopAntisemitism have strongly condemned Cherry’s past posts, questioning the Biden administration's decision to elevate someone with such a history. Phil Wegmann of RealClearPolitics highlighted Cherry's support for Palestine, comparison of police to slave patrols, and calls for abolishing ICE.
Critics argue that Cherry's appointment is at odds with the administration’s stated support for Israel and combating antisemitism. The White House's decision to promote Cherry has raised questions about the vetting process for high-profile government positions and whether such an individual can fairly represent all communities.
Despite Cherry's attempts to clarify his stance, the persistence of some posts, such as a 2017 tweet labeling the president a “Nazi sympathizer,” continues to fuel the debate.
Interestingly, as reported by Newsweek just yesterday (Sunday), Cherry's controversial tweets are no longer visible on his X account, with any posts predating April 2022 appearing to have been deleted, signaling Cherry's desire to distance himself from past inflammatory posts.
The backlash against Cherry also highlights a broader issue of campus antisemitism, echoing concerns raised by recent reports from institutions like Stanford University.
One thing is clear: the rising scourge of widespread antisemitism in America since October 7 remains a significant and growing problem that demands continuous vigilance and proactive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of Jewish students and communities across the nation.