Kelly Loeffler's Releases Attack Ads Using Antisemitic & Racist Dog Whistles

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), struggling to hold onto her seat in a competitive runoff election, released television ads smearing her opponent, Rev. Raphael Warnock (D) in the lead-up to the January special election. These attacks commenced almost immediately after the Georgia Senate race went into a runoff.

Loeffler’s negative ads falsely accused Warnock of antisemitism and simultaneously employed antisemitic and racist dog-whistles against him, such as claims that he “called police thugs and gangsters, hosted a rally for Communist dictator Fidel Castro, and praised Marxism in speeches and writings.” (These smears are fact-checked here).

“Marxist” Dog Whistles

Loeffler’s claim that Warnock has “praised Marxism” and her characterization of as him as a “socialist” not only do not accurately depict Warnock’s political positions; they are also the same smears that were used to blacklist Jews during the Red Scare: In the 1940s and 1950s, the House committee charged with investigating “Un-American Activities” targeted Jews, particularly those working in Hollywood, media, and entertainment.

In the 1960s, similar accusations were made against leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1965, billboards were put up in Alabama featuring a photo of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. attending a lecture at the Highlander Folk School, which the billboard labeled a “Communist Training School.”

A 1968 FBI report made public in 2017 described MLK as “a whole-hearted Marxist who has studied [Marxism], believes in it and agrees with it.” The same document also focused on Stanley Levison, an advisor to MLK who had previously helped to finance the Communist Party. Levison was Jewish, and the FBI claimed he influenced MLK to embrace communism. A leading MLK historian said that the FBI “incredibly exaggerated statements of communist influence” and much of the FBI’s opposition research on MLK has since been widely understood as part of a smear campaign against the civil rights hero.

This is the legacy Loeffler’s attack ads are building upon — accusing Black faith and political leaders of having communist sympathies, and emphasizing the influence of Jewish financiers on their campaigns. The FBI’s targets were MLK and Levison. Loeffler’s targets are Rev. Warnock and George Soros.

False Accusations of Antisemitism

In addition to dog-whistling that Warnock is a “Marxist,” Loeffler has tried to smear him as an antisemite on at least half a dozen occasions since early November.

In reality, Warnock has a long history of supporting and working with the Georgia Jewish community. Following the Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting in 2018, Warnock was among the first to reach out to Rabbi Peter Berg, leader of Atlanta's oldest Jewish congregation, The Temple. Berg said he considers Warnock a "close friend and confidant." Loeffler, in contrast, has been criticized by Jewish organizations for using Jews as a political tool, and for associating with white supremacists.

Accusing powerful Black faith and political leaders of antisemitism appears to be a core part of Loeffler’s campaign strategy; She made similar baseless accusations against the Black Lives Matter movement over the summer. In addition to casting baseless attacks on Warnock, Loeffler has frequently attempted to use these same smears against other Democrats as well. She also accused former President Barack Obama of antisemitism, and called Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) “disgraceful,” for retweeting a message in support of International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Loeffler has also tried to smear Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff (D), who is Jewish as antisemitic and anti-American.