President Donald Trump has made a bold move to strengthen ties with Israel, and Doug Emhoff, husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris, is the latest casualty.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration fired Emhoff — among others — from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, as reported by the New York Post.
The decision is part of a broader effort to reshape the council with members who not only honor the Holocaust’s historical significance but also recognize its ongoing implications for Israel.
Trump’s White House is prioritizing appointees who are “steadfast supporters of the State of Israel,” according to a statement reported by Axios.
This is the Trump administration’s latest calculated step to combat anti-Semitism, an issue the group has repeatedly addressed. By ensuring the council aligns with Israel’s interests, Trump is sending a message that his administration takes the fight against anti-Semitism quite seriously, if that wasn’t perfectly clear already.
Emhoff, however, doesn’t see it that way. In a statement posted to X on Tuesday, he decried the move as politicizing Holocaust remembrance.
Read my statement on my removal from the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. pic.twitter.com/S6ErnGAKdU
— Doug Emhoff (@DouglasEmhoff) April 29, 2025
“Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized,” Emhoff wrote, adding that turning such an atrocity into a “wedge issue” dishonors the memory of the six million Jews murdered by Nazis.
Do you agree with Trump’s policy on Israel?
That sounds all nice and righteous, but Emhoff’s indignation rings hollow when you give even the quickest examination into his own family’s ties to anti-Israel efforts.
His daughter — and Harris’ stepdaughter — Ella Emhoff, has been involved in promoting an $8 million fundraising campaign for Gaza, as recently as November … 2023.
Yeah, just weeks after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.
It’s repulsive, and every honest soul on this planet would admit that Trump excising that sort of association from the Holocaust Memorial Council is what’s best for business.
How dare Emhoff claim Trump is politicizing the Holocaust when his own daughter is funneling money to a region controlled by Hamas — a terrorist group, by any metric.
The hypocrisy is staggering.
Ella’s actions directly undermine Israel’s security, politicizing the senseless slaughter of innocent Israelis. Emhoff can craft the most eloquent X post in the world, but he can’t erase this inconvenient truth about his family’s own affiliations.
The administration also fired other Biden-era appointees, including Biden’s former chief of staff Ron Klain and Barack Obama’s national security adviser Susan Rice, as noted by the Post.
The terminations were swift and rightfully unceremonious.
Emhoff received an email from the White House Presidential Personnel Office stating: “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council is terminated, effective immediately.”
Emhoff’s ousting comes at a particularly rough time for him. There are rampant reports that his marriage with Harris is strained, with sources claiming Harris blames him for her 2024 presidential election loss to Trump.
The couple presented a united front at Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, but their grim expressions betrayed underlying tensions. Harris, who is said to be considering a 2026 run for California governor or another presidential bid in 2028, may genuinely view Emhoff as a liability.
The Holocaust Memorial Council’s mission is to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and educate future generations. Trump’s reshuffling ensures that mission isn’t tainted by individuals whose families are linked to anti-Israel causes.
It’s really not that complicated, despite Emhoff’s long-winded explanation otherwise.
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