Jim Jordan Holds Very Serious New York Hearing On 'Crime' (He Means Black People And Jews)

Democrats in dis ... oh wait, no!

Jim Jordan knows who is to blame for crime in New York, and it is THE JEW.

Yes, okay, specifically it is one 92-year-old philanthropist who donates to liberal politicians. But Republicans aren't really talking about an actual person when they invoke the name George Soros. They're conjuring up centuries of images of Jews as usurpers, the constant outsider, a fifth column. A Jew in a position of power is definitionally illegitimate. And if they can accuse Jews of controlling Black people, so much the better. 

“Soros-funded DAs all across America continue to let criminals walk free. The result in NYC: ▪️110 more people got raped last year ▪️Auto theft increased by 32% ▪️521 more people were victims of transit crime The Dems' soft-on-crime policies make America less safe.”

— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@Rep. Tom Tiffany) 1681758973 

 Yes , George Soros did donate a million dollars to the Color of Change PAC , a Black-led political action committee that hosts the podcast Voting While Black. And yes , Color of Change did endorse Bragg and pledge a million dollars to support his election. But calling Bragg "Soros-funded" is both a lie and a blatant attempt to frame Jews as working to undermine America by funding policies which increase crime. Because when the Koch Brothers dump hundreds of millions of dollars into political campaigns, or billionaire Harlan Crow buys a Supreme Court Justice, that's just good all American fun. Money is speech, dontcha know? But when Jews do it, it's nefarious and dirty.

Rep. Tiffany seems not even to understand (or care) that Bragg, whom he traipsed into New York to harass, only represents Manhattan, so it doesn't even make sense to attribute crime stats from city's four other boroughs to the DA's policies — much less those of a nonagenarian Holocaust survivor. Although, with all due respect to his constituents, perhaps the congressman is simply overwhelmed by New York's geography, since the largest city in his district is Superior, Wisconsin, population 26,751.

Rep. Dan Goldman, who is not on Judiciary but whose district includes the Javits Federal Building where Chairman Jordan staged his little hearing stunt, called out Republicans for fanning the flames of antisemitism, even as hate crimes against Jews are surging.

“With antisemitic violence at record highs, today’s hearing confirmed that invoking George Soros’s name is nothing short of blatant antisemitism. I call on all Republicans to stop using this antisemitic trope immediately.”

— Rep. Dan Goldman (@Rep. Dan Goldman) 1681756386 

He was echoed by Ranking Member Jerry Nadler, who represents Brooklyn. That's part of New York City, population 8.5 million, just in case you're some hayseed from a state with fewer than 6 million people, who likes to come into someone else's district and scaremonger about crime.

None of the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee even hail from New York, although they brought in Rep. Elise Stefanik, whose district is upstate, to dogwhistle about evil Democratic prosecutors who are supposedly soft on crime.

The reality of course is much more complicated than Republicans make out. Crime was indeed up in 2022 over 2021, but so was leaving the house after COVID quarantines ended. As Bragg pointed out when the committee announced the hearing, crime declined in Manhattan in the first quarter of 2023. And, blue states that pass gun control are awash in illegal firearms thanks to red states that ship them north on I-95.

"Don't be fooled, the House GOP is coming to the safest big city in America for a political stunt. This hearing won't engage in actual efforts to increase public safety, such as supporting national gun legislation and shutting down the iron pipeline," Bragg tweeted last week. "In D.A. Bragg's first year in office, New York City had one of the lowest murder rates of major cities in the United States (5.2) - nearly three times lower than Columbus, Ohio (15.4). If Chairman Jordan truly cared about public safety, he could take a short drive to Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron, or Toledo in his home state, instead of using taxpayer dollars to travel hundreds of miles out of his way."

True to form, Jordan snarked that if Democrats cared about gun control, they'd have passed it when they controlled both houses of Congress in 2021, prompting Nadler to remind him that Democrats had indeed tried to pass rational gun laws, but “because of the filibuster you needed 60 votes, and we got no Republican votes and that’s why it didn’t pass."

But in some sense, it doesn't matter that Republicans were lying out their saggy asses. Everyone in the room knew perfectly well that the field trip was just an effort to kneecap Bragg after he indicted Donald Trump on 34 counts of falsifying a business record.

“Jim Jordan's attempt to intimidate the Manhattan DA is another effort to place the former president above the law. And undermine the interests of justice. It won’t succeed, but then that is not the point. Blind loyalty to the disgraced former president is all that matters.”

— Adam Schiff (@Adam Schiff) 1681759261 

And clearly Bragg, who sued Jordan last week to block subpoenas of his current and former employees, isn't backing down.

Hey, remember that time when Kevin McCarthy tried to undermine the House January 6 Select Committee by refusing to participate, leaving the field clear for people who actually care about the country to explain to Americans exactly how Trump's lies caused the attack on the Capitol?

Guess who's showing up to bone these show trials every single time?

Dems in disarray? Not a chance. 

  Catch Liz Dye on Opening Arguments podcast.

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