Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) Shares Manipulated Image Invoking Antisemitic Tropes.
During the Senate Judiciary hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, Donald Trump’s nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) held up a series of posters detailing the way Republican donor interests have potentially influenced judicial nominees.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) edited a still image from Fox News’ coverage of the hearing, replacing it with a photo of Jewish philanthropise George Soros, and writing the words “dark money” across it. She then edited the description of the segment to read “George Soros is funding radical Left activists.”
The political right frequently casts George Soros as an international puppet-master, drawing on ugly stereotypes and antisemitic conspiracy theories about a global Jewish cabal secretly controlling world affairs.
While Soros’ foundation does fund many progressive movements, the idea that Soros as an individual is the secret, dark, shadowy force behind progressive movements is classic antisemitism. Numerous Republican Party leaders — including Donald Trump — have promoted antisemitic conspiracies about Soros. They did not even stop after a Trump supporter attempted to assassinate the Jewish philanthropist.
Blackburn has a history of making comments tinged with antisemitism, and they have gotten increasingly explicit over time.