By Joel H. Cohen
NEW YORK — Is President Trump mellowing? You be the judge.
Stung by rebuffs from segments of the Jewish community and rocked by what the Democratic victory in the mid-term House elections could mean to him and his administration, the president might well have been expected to react as he usually does when things don’t go well for him: lash out against those who opposed him.
But instead – perhaps urged on by his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared — he’s taking a positive approach.
Determined to win Jews over to his side, he’s launching a program to achieve that goal: using Yiddish expressions in his speeches…expanding the official U.S. celebration of Chanukah… and planning exceptions for Jews in his anticipated executive order that would strip citizenship from U.S.-born young people whose parents came to this country undocumented.
“Jews have given so much to our great country – gefilte fish…pastrami…guilt,” the president confided, “I want to give them something in return.”
Trump, who once planned a special production of Fiddler on the Roof with himself as Tevye (to make Russian Jewry “great again”), is already starting to use Yiddish expressions, boasting about himself and his accomplishments in mama lushen (mother tongue, Yiddish) at rallies of his base.
He’s not singing “If I were a rich man,” but he’s grooving on some traditional Yiddish put-downs that were aimed at him and treating them as compliments.
“Obama, a very weak president,” Trump said, “has referred to some people as having chutzpah (nerve, gall). Well, many, many people have told me I’ve got more chutzpah (both presidents omitted the ‘ch” at the beginning of the word) than any president since Lincoln, and maybe even before him.
“And when it comes to bubbe meises (old wives tales), I’m the champ. No contest.
”You know, I love the Jews and they love me even more. One even referred to me as a “great big Hazzer (pig)(again leaving off the “Ch.”). That’s the Jewish word for Kaiser, and I am, of course, a very, very strong leader. Nobody’s stronger.”
And so it’s been going in his speeches, with the president treating one Yiddish insult after another as a compliment to himself.
On another front, he’s announced that this year’s official national Chanukah celebration will be even more elaborate than last year’s.
Though the president said he hated to contribute to that country’s favorable balance of trade, special-edition latkes (pancakes) will be flown in in from France, with fillings of every conceivable description. Giant-sized dreidels wil be featured, their sides showing likenesses of President Trump, and, as was the case last year, bearing the legend, “a great miracle happened here,” referring to his election.
An innovation at this year’s celebration will be high-stake dreidel tournaments at Mar-a-Lago, with participants expected from all over the world. ‘
The president’s announced intention to issue an executive order that would take away the right to citizenship for children born here whose parents were unauthorized immigrants is very controversial. Some critics have said it would be a violation of the 14th amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. or naturalized here. The Jewish exception will add controversy.
Despite his seeming leniency toward Jews, President Trump is maintaining a very hard line against refugees seeking asylum in the U.S.A. and, for that matter, all immigrants.
A reporter at a news briefing referred to Trump’s stance against so-called “chain migration” and “anchor babies,” as well as his approval of the practice of taking babies from their parents at the border. How, the reporter asked, could the president reconcile his planned executive order that would eliminate “birthright” citizenship for U.S.-born Americans whose parents were illegal aliens, with his in-laws gaining U.S. citizenship through legal means but seeming’ technicalities.
Press Secretary, Susan Huckabee Sanders, bristling at the question, declared, “your suggestion of favoritism is the most ridiculous comment I’ve ever heard. No wonder the press has such a hateful reputation. As even you well know, the president’s main priority, beyond all other priories, is keeping families together.”
Another correspondent asked whether the president was confident that the legality of his proposals would be upheld. “Extremely confident,” Sanders replied. “And should it go all the way to the Supremes, I can only quote what the president said so eloquently, ‘We’ve got Kavanaugh.”
So not much has changed after all.
*
Readers who are new to freelance writer Joel Cohen’s “Just Kidding” columns are advised that they are satirical and should not be taken seriously