Far Right Uses Antisemitic George Soros Trope To Attack Campus Protests
Amid ongoing campus protests advocating for a cease-fire in Gaza, a concerning trend has emerged: Right-wing activists, mainstream media, and politicians have begun to recycle decades-old antisemitic tropes to denounce the protests as inherently antisemitic.
George Soros, a billionaire philanthropist who frequently supports liberal causes through his Open Society Foundations, is not only a Holocaust survivor but also an outspoken critic of governments and administrations that stifle the free exchange of ideas. However, over the past few decades, he has been portrayed as a boogeyman, a puppet master behind the scenes, and a convenient target for right-wing attacks.
The widespread use of the George Soros trope in American society is alarming, says Emily Tamkin, author of the book The Influence of Soros: Politics, Power, and the Struggle for an Open Society. She worries that as with other antisemitic tropes that have become enmeshed in American sociopolitical discourse, phrases such as 鈥淪oros-backed鈥� or 鈥淪oros-funded鈥� are often brushed aside as legitimate criticism.
鈥淲e have moved past the point where it can even be called out as antisemitic because it鈥檚 now so baked into鈥� American socio-politics. People may even use it 鈥渘ot realizing it is an antisemitic trope,鈥� she added.
Ben Lorber, a senior research analyst at Political Research Associates, asserts that the Soros trope 鈥渁llows鈥� the right to 鈥減oint the finger at鈥� some 鈥渆vil demonic force lurking behind all manner of progressive causes鈥� and then use any 鈥渢angential connections to claim that Soros is a kind of hidden hand or puppet master.鈥�
In early May, a story published by 聽triggered a surge in Soros conspiracy theories. The story hinted at a supposed connection between Soros and the campus protests for a ceasefire in Gaza 鈥� although this link has since been thoroughly debunked by PolitiFact, who wrote: 鈥淲e learned that Soros鈥� grant-making organization, Open Society Foundations, has awarded grants to some groups the New York Post article linked to the demonstrations. But the connections between Soros鈥� money and specific campus protesters involved several degrees of separation.鈥� Politico has had to attach a long series of corrections to the piece.
Nevertheless, the right-wing conspiracy machine was already in motion and seized upon this opportunity to resurrect the Soros聽trope with fervor. On May 6, far-right extremist and provocateur Jack Posobiec聽tweeted a reference to this story, stating, 鈥淏REAKING: Some of Biden鈥檚 biggest financial backers are the ones throwing support behind the campus Gaza demonstrations.鈥�
Similarly, MAGA extremist Charlie Kirk聽reposted the story,聽聽that 鈥淧olitico is reporting that some of Joe Biden鈥檚 biggest donors are also funding the pro-Gaza protesters via grants and sub grants. This includes George Soros, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Susan and Nick Pritzker, heirs to the Hyatt Hotel empire.鈥� Kirk posted: 鈥淎sk yourself, if it were Trump鈥檚 top donors funding and coordinating the illegal occupations of universities across the country, would Blue State AGs just sit idly by? Where are the Red State AGs? Indict the left!鈥�
Anti-student inclusion group Moms for Liberty聽and its co-founder, Tiffany Justice, recently attempted to connect antisemitism in schools to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Moms for Liberty is no stranger to , having advocated for banning Anne Frank鈥檚 The Diary of a Young Girl, appearing with the Proud Boys at events, and quoting Hitler in a chapter newsletter last year. In a May 4 post on X, formerly Twitter, Justice reposted a Moms for Liberty 聽asking who is 鈥渂ehind the mass indoctrination鈥� and chaos in higher education that the anti-Israel protests have supposedly caused. She answers this by quoting New York Post columnist Charles Gasparino, saying: 鈥淵es, there is big money funding this type of instruction鈥搊ne that deemphasizes Western civ and extols anti-American and Jew-hated instruction by leftist and even Marxist professors鈥揳nd it isn鈥檛 just Soros-related, as the Post has documented. It comes from some frightening and surprising places both foreign and domestic.鈥� Justice, like Posobiec and Kirk, is recycling the antisemitic Soros trope while attempting to position herself as against antisemitism.
While it鈥檚 unsurprising that known extremists are peddling antisemitic tropes, what is increasingly concerning is the readiness of right-wing politicians to normalize these tropes without any regard for perpetuating antisemitic rhetoric. On May 9 at a Senate , Texas Sen. Ted Cruz attacked the president鈥檚 supposed hesitancy to provide weapons to Israel.
鈥淚 want to finally underscore a very important story that broke last week came from Politico. And it was a story that says the funding for the anti-Israel antisemitic anti-American protests occurring at universities across the country. Much of the funding came from Joe Biden and the Democrats biggest donors,鈥� Cruz said. 鈥淎nd here鈥檚 who Politico identified: George Soros, the Rockefeller Brothers, Bill and Melinda Gates, and the Pritzker Family.鈥�
Cruz then proceeded to suggest that these individuals are responsible for funding all Democratic members in Congress. On , Cruz attacked his opponent, Colin Allred, for receiving funding from those who are 鈥渇unding the anti-Semitic college protests,鈥� including George Soros.
Biden has since approved the weapons expenditure.
Kari Lake, a Senate candidate from Arizona and a supporter of the MAGA movement, has 聽declared her position that she would not 鈥渂ow down to George Soros鈥� and has capitalized on recent reports not only to propagate the myth of Soros-backed protests but also to 聽her opponent, Ruben Gallego. Weeks earlier, she falsely 聽that the 鈥淪oros Family is funding the anti-Semitic hate happening on college campuses all across our country.鈥�
Most , U.S. Rep. 聽an emerging figure supposedly championing the fight against campus antisemitism, has also routinely employed the Soros trope. Last month, 聽shared a 聽article falsely accusing Soros of funding 鈥減aid protesters鈥� on U.S. campuses. In the same post 聽asserted, 鈥淕eorge Soros is trying to fund the downfall of America by buying elections for radical Far Left politicians and corrupting the next generation to support terror groups.鈥� The House GOP Conference chair is no stranger to engaging in , having used them to repeatedly attack Manhattan District Attorney 聽in recent weeks.
鈥淚t鈥檚 counterintuitive,鈥� Lorber says, that 鈥渢he Right is using these antisemitic conspiracies that Soros must be behind these protests. And they are doing that鈥� in 鈥渢he name of fighting antisemitism.鈥�
Notably absent from the discourse on 鈥淪oros backed鈥� or 鈥淪oros funded鈥� accusations are any mentions of right-wing politicians who are recipients of grants from Soros鈥檚 Open Society foundation. These include Hungarian President , a friend of the Republican Party. Similarly, there鈥檚 scant acknowledgment that former presidential candidate and outspoken Republican campaigner 聽was also a recipient. The speed and intensity of right-wing denunciations of those tangentially connected to Soros money make it clear that two individuals who actually received grants escape that level of vitriol because of their political affiliation with the right.
Says Tamkin: 鈥淩epublican politicians would push antisemitic tropes while defending Israel. What is discouraging is how many people who have seen through in the past are suddenly saying, 鈥楾hank you Congresswoman Stefanik.鈥欌��
Banner photo illustration by 人兽性交. (L-R Charlie Kirk, Kari Lake, Jack Posobiec, George Soros, Elise Stefanik, Sen. Ted Cruz, Tiffany Justice.) Source photos from Getty Images.
