Gee, These Trump Supporters Sure Are Obsessed With That 6-Pointed "Sheriff's Star"

Donald Trump is still claiming that the white supremacist anti-Hillary meme he tweeted in early July depicted an innocent "sheriff's star," not a Star of David, next to "Crooked Hillary" Clinton and a bed of money. 

As someone so sensitive to Jewish issues, he should know about the latest hashtag to come out of the pro-Trump alternative right: #JewishPrivilege.

#JewishPrivilege is blatantly anti-Semitic. It reflects the conspiracy theories many white nationalists hold about Jews — that they've been a corruptive force throughout history and that they secretly control media and politics.

Not that Trump would know. He loves Jews. He's "a negotiator, just like you folks," and he doesn't want any of their money. 

But even if Trump didn't tweet the Star of David, his supporters blatantly do. Tweeting propaganda designed by a white supremacist to bolster your campaign against your Democratic opposition, even if the source was unknown — then defending it — is already a tone-deaf move. 

But Trump's extremist followers clearly appreciate what they've found in their candidate: the ability to make a World War II-era labeling system great again.

Here are Trump supporters using the Star of David:

Here are Trump supporters using #JewishPrivilege:

Using the Star of David to identify Jewish people online is just the latest in digital anti-Semitism, exemplified barely a month ago by the secret "echoes" symbol used to target Jews online. 

Both examples come from a faction of the internet fueled by white nationalism and rage. The Star of David meme, for example, first appeared on 8chan's /pol/ — a politically incorrect alt-right message board that steers hard right into neo-Nazi rhetoric. This group, like the greater alternative right, may be amorphous, but it has one thing in common: virtually ubiquitous support for Donald J. Trump.

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