The news that New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg is indicting former President Donald Trump has only intensified the dumpster fire that is American politics in 2023. The politically-motivated effort to stop the Orange Man What Is Bad™ from seeking the presidency again in the upcoming election has infuriated those on the right and galvanized those on the left, who believe that this will finally be the weapon that will destroy their most feared boogeyman.
Amid the debate over this story, far leftist billionaire George Soros has reared his ancient, communist head as Republicans claim he helped to fund Bragg’s campaign, thereby ensuring that he won his election. Naturally, leftists are attempting to obfuscate the matter, claiming that not only did Soros not help Bragg’s campaign, but that it is anti-Semitic to even bring the man’s name up. Indeed, this is a commonly repeated trope on the left.
USA Today opinion columnist Michael J. Stern took to Twitter to whine about people bringing up Soros in relation to Bragg, claiming that it is “blatantly anti-Semitic.” He tweeted:
Stop with the “Soros controls Bragg” crap. It’s wrong and it’s blatantly anti-Semitic (“the Jews run the world.”)
Republicans were not complaining when Jewish billionaire Sheldon Adelson funneled millions to Trump and the GOP.
Stop with the "Soros controls Bragg" crap. It's wrong and it's blatantly anti-Semitic ("the Jews run the world.")
Republicans were not complaining when Jewish billionaire Sheldon Adelson funneled millions to Trump and the GOP.
— Michael J. Stern (@MichaelJStern1) March 31, 2023
Failed Florida gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried also repeated the trope. “Breaking the law is un-American and blaming it on George Soros is anti-Semitic,” she tweeted.
Breaking the law is un-American and blaming it on George Soros is anti-Semitic. https://t.co/gepoJWRtj5
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) March 31, 2023
NBC News’ Ben Collins also chimed in with a link to an article further discussing the relationship between Soros and Bragg. He claimed Soros “has never met or spoken to Alvin Bragg,” which is a deceptive remark when you take a closer look at the situation.
Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ron DeSantis have all claimed Alvin Bragg is "Soros-backed" or aligned since the news of the indictment dropped.
In reality, Soros has “has never met or spoken to Alvin Bragg,” according to a CNBC story from last week.https://t.co/UoCI1R1B4o
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) March 31, 2023
The CNBC article to which Collins linked claimed that Soros’ funding of Democratic candidates “have made him a boogeyman in Republican circles for well over a decade.”
The author of the piece goes on to argue that “the reality of Bragg’s links to Soros does not entirely match the picture painted by Republican lawmakers who aim to use ties between the men to discredit the probe.”
A Soros advisor told the outlet that the billionaire never met Bragg. But while claiming Soros did not fund Bragg’s campaign, the article admits:
Most of the criticism of Bragg appears to stem from support, and later political pressure, he received from the racial justice group Color of Change, which tries to influence government and corporate policy around the country. Soros donated $1 million to the Color of Change PAC in 2021. The Soros-funded Open Society Policy Center also piled $7 million into the group’s separate 501(c)(4) arm that year.
“Yet, those familiar with the contributions said that the money the billionaire and his organization gave to Color of Change was not earmarked to back Bragg’s campaign, or intended to be used in an effort to pressure the DA,” the author wrote.
Still, Color of Change acknowledged that it donated $500,000 to Bragg’s campaign. So does this mean Soros funded Bragg?
Yes, albeit indirectly.
The billionaire was instrumental in helping Bragg get elected. But making it seem as if he directly poured money into Bragg’s coffers would be deceptive. Still, it does show that the left’s claims about this are also deceptive because they are suggesting that there is no real connection between the two men.
Then, there is the anti-Semitism trope, which is a blatant lie on the part of progressives using it to smear those who criticize the billionaire. Still, these people argue that mentioning George Soros is anti-Semitic because he is a prominent Jewish billionaire who has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories that often have anti-Semitic undertones. These theories supposedly portray Soros as a shadowy figure who uses his wealth and influence to manipulate politics and the media for his own agenda. The problem is that there is nothing “shadowy” about Soros’ machinations – it is all public.
Apparently, progressives do not view Soros as someone whose actions and statements are subject to public debate and examination, just like any other public figure.
Disagreeing with Soros’ political views or expressing concerns about his involvement in certain issues does not automatically equate to anti-Semitism. To suggest otherwise undermines the seriousness of real anti-Semitism and diminishes the impact of those who have experienced genuine discrimination and prejudice based on their religion or ethnicity. Furthermore, conflating criticism of Soros with anti-Semitism not only misrepresents the argument but also undermines the fight against genuine anti-Jewish bigotry.
But, as most of us already know, progressives don’t care about bigotry as much as they would have us believe. To them, it is nothing more than a political weapon to use against their political opposition.
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