Top Republicans and MAGA influencers quickly seized on the killing of two Israeli embassy staff members near a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., to attack Democrats.
A suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, has been arrested in connection with the shooting of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim on Wednesday night. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said the suspect chanted, “Free, free Palestine,” while being detained by officers.
A number of Trump’s supporters—including top members of his administration—have blamed the horrific shootings on left-wing ideology, claiming that the Left embraces “terrorists” and that college campuses have fostered anti-Israeli sentiment amid the war in Gaza.
Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said the shooting occurred because there is a “growing cancer of far-left domestic terrorism” in the United States.
Linda McMahon, the former president of World Wrestling Entertainment whom Trump tapped as Education secretary, said her “heart breaks” for the two victims of the attack, then cast blame on campus protests.
“As law enforcement works to hold the perpetrator fully accountable, we must acknowledge that our college campuses have become a breeding ground for this antisemitic hate,” she said on X. “It will not be tolerated under the Trump Administration.”
Far-right influencer Mike Cernovich piled on.
“Tonight’s attack in D.C. is what Democrats voted for,” Cernovich posted to his 1.4 million followers on X. “I won’t be lectured to by these people. Law and order was on the ballot. They voted for BLM riots and Luigi [Mangione] instead. Own it.”
Magione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the streets of New York City in December 2024—an act that has made him a folk hero among some critics of the healthcare industry.
Sharing a clip of the suspect being detained, Cernovich added: “This is what celebrating Luigi gets you. The Left and DEMOCRATS voted for this. It’s their mess to clean up now.”
This is what celebrating Luigi gets you. The left and DEMOCRATS voted for this. It’s their mess to clean up now. https://t.co/mrRYj3fj8D
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) May 22, 2025
Former Fox News producer Breanna Morello also cited Mangione in attacking the Left in the wake of the D.C. incident.
“Whether it’s Christian children attending school, a health insurance executive walking down the street, or a Jewish couple standing on the sidewalk, there’s one consistency: The Left continues to breed terrorists,” Morello wrote. “Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were gunned down by a far-left terrorist. This kind of barbaric behavior shouldn’t be happening in the United States.”
MAGA political commentator David J. Freeman, better known on X as “Gunther Eagleman,” expressed a similar sentiment on Thursday, posting, “Anyone else notice the violence coming from the Left is getting worse?”
President Donald Trump condemned the “horrible” killing of the Israeli embassy staff outside the Capital Jewish Museum, saying it was “obviously based on antisemitism.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish, was among the Democrats speaking out against the attack.
“This sickening shooting seems to be another horrific instance of antisemitism, which, as we know, is all too rampant in our society,” Schumer said on X. “I’m praying for those who were killed, all those affected, and their families.”
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said during a Wednesday press briefing that officials believe the suspect acted alone and that investigations are continuing.
The Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., shared photos of the two victims early Thursday morning.
“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives. The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder,” the embassy wrote. “No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.”
The Capital Jewish Museum said in a statement that it is “deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence” that occurred Wednesday night. “Our condolences and heartfelt sympathies go to the victims and their families.”
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