Do recent Republican text leaks mean extremism is on the rise?
USA TODAY’s Will Carless describes an analysis of recently leaked text messages from Republicans containing anti-Semitic and racist language.
“This story has been updated to add new information.”
A moment that was supposed to focus on San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s goal of promoting policies that support the city’s economic recovery and housing development was overshadowed by the woman’s anti-Semitic comments.
On Feb. 25, Lurie and other local leaders were promoting the mayor’s new housing proposal that would cut the city’s concession tax in half in hopes of attracting new housing developers to the city. A group of demonstrators were present during the event and chanted “Tax the rich” to oppose the proposal.
However, the mayor said things quickly changed after a woman started chanting anti-Semitic remarks about “taxing Jews.”
Immediately after the event, Lurie took to social media to condemn the anti-Semitic comments he and other local leaders heard on February 25th.
“This was an event I hosted with Director Mahmoud, labor leaders, and dozens of workers to announce plans to create more jobs for workers and more housing for San Francisco residents,” Lurie posted on X.
“Suggesting that Jews are wealthy is a well-worn cliché, and targeting our community at an event focused on creating economic opportunities for San Franciscans is clearly anti-Semitic. I will never accept hate directed toward the Jewish community or any community in the city. Those are not San Francisco values. We are better than that.”
At the time, it was unclear whether the woman was a member of the San Francisco branch of the Democratic Socialist Party of America or a group of protesters opposed to the proposal. But shortly after the event, the DSA San Francisco group posted on Instagram that the woman was a non-member and joined from the crowd.
DSA San Francisco chapter treasurer Matthew Pancia told the San Francisco Chronicle that the woman, who has not yet been identified, appeared to have walked into the crowd of protesters less than five minutes before leaving the area.
“DSA members and other protesters asked her to stop, but she refused,” the post reads. “We want to be clear that any hatred she harbors is not shared by DSA members and we categorically reject anti-Semitism.”
But by that point, momentum had already begun to take shape, with major online voices weighing in on the mayor’s post, including politicians like California Governor Gavin Newsom and Congressman Eric Swalwell, and commentators like CNN’s chief political analyst David Axelrod and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
“I stand with Mayor Lurie against the anti-Semitic hatred that occurred in San Francisco today. We must all call it out, denounce it, and do more to rid our communities of it from its roots to its ugly trunk,” Swalwell said on the X show.
Although the mayor’s post did not name any of the groups protesting at the event, people online and the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council criticized the DSA San Francisco chapter for their comments during the event.
“Anti-Semitism has no place in our labor movement and has no place in San Francisco,” Rudy Gonzalez, executive director and treasurer of the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, said in a statement.Edited after the event. “Disagreement over policy should be handled through debate and democratic engagement. Bigotry will not advance any cause.”
But then, on February 25, more information about the incident and the woman’s non-existent relationship with DSA’s San Francisco branch came to light, prompting Gonzalez to amend his criticisms and statements about the group.
“I am a spokesperson for our affiliates, and I take seriously any enthusiasm or criticism for including DSA in this statement,” Gonzalez said in a social media post. “I’ve been an organizer for a little bit, and it’s not uncommon to hear boos and hisses and the like when someone says something we don’t agree with. Obviously, people know how to boo or shout chants at politicians they don’t like. Why wouldn’t they do that to some vile person who has nothing to do with them?”
As of February 26th, the case is still ongoing. News outlets such as the Times of Israel and the Jerusalem Post have reported on this, sparking criticism and questions across social and international media..
On Thursday, Lurie released a statement about the incident to the San Francisco Chronicle and posted an initial statement on X.
“I heard a group of people yelling, ‘Tax the rich,’ and that cry became, ‘Tax the Jews,’ and if that chant doesn’t represent that group of people, I’m glad to hear that,” Lurie told the San Francisco Chronicle.
“I will not condone hate directed at the Jewish community or any community in our city. I am encouraged by so many San Franciscans coming forward and saying it is unacceptable and does not represent our city.”
Noe Padilla is a Northern California reporter for USA Today. To contact him, npadilla@usatodayco.comX Follow him at @1NoePadilla or Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social.. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow TODAY Californian on Facebook.
