Top Jewish donors aligned with the Republican Party are wrestling with a rising tide of antisemitic rhetoric within GOP circles after a high-profile podcast interview on October 27 that featured Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. Donors are divided: some plan to actively block candidates tied to antisemitic influencers, others prefer to keep a low profile, and a third group says it feels politically adrift as the party confronts painful internal questions.
Background: The Carlson-Fuentes Episode and Fallout
On October 27, a prominent conservative commentator hosted Nick Fuentes, who used the platform to praise authoritarian figures, attack ‘‘organized Jewry’’ and promote a strategy to influence elections. The episode drew broad condemnation from some Republican leaders and conservative voices, while other figures defended the right to host the conversation. The discussion intensified an existing debate about how the GOP should respond to people who traffic in antisemitic ideas.
How Donors Are Reacting
Donors who help fund Republican campaigns describe three broad responses:
- Active opposition: Some wealthy Jewish Republicans intend to mobilize money and influence to block candidates with ties to Fuentes or similar influencers.
- Quiet caution: A number prefer not to draw attention, hoping the issue remains on the fringes and does not reshape the party’s mainstream.
- Disaffection: Others say they feel politically homeless and are reconsidering long-standing partisan loyalties.
"There’s no black-and-white here, but I do see forces lining up to push back," said Eytan Laor, a Republican bundler and founder of a pro-Israel PAC. He and other donors warned that social media and high-profile commentators have amplified figures who promote antisemitic or anti-Israel sentiments.
"Anti-Israel, antisemitic — that gets conflated. A lot of them hide behind anti-Israel, and it’s very hard to prove because you should be allowed to be critical of Israel. But they're not just anti-Israel," an anonymous major Jewish GOP donor said.
Matt Brooks, CEO of a major Republican Jewish organization, said his group intends to target candidates backed by Fuentes and similar actors: "We have to ensure that none of those people get through the wire and get elected," he said.
Other Incidents and the Broader Context
The Carlson-Fuentes episode was not an isolated occurrence. In recent months there have been several troubling incidents on the right, including a withdrawn nomination after boasts about a "Nazi streak," leaked private chats among young party activists that praised Hitler and joked about the Holocaust, and the discovery of an extremist symbol in a congressional office. Together, these episodes have heightened concern among donors about the potential for fringe ideas to migrate into mainstream politics.
At the same time, political dynamics among Jewish Americans and the broader electorate are shifting. Recent election results showed improved GOP performance in some Jewish communities compared with prior cycles, and multiple polls indicate growing skepticism about the Israeli government's policies among Americans generally — especially younger voters and younger Republicans. That combination of changing voter attitudes and heightened sensitivity to antisemitism makes pro-Israel donors especially attentive to the party’s direction heading into future primaries.
What This Means for 2028
Donors say how presidential hopefuls address antisemitism will be a defining issue in the Republican presidential primary. With a large field expected to emerge, candidates will be scrutinized not only for their policy positions on Israel but also for whether they actively rebut or tolerate antisemitic currents within the party. Figures with less-established track records on Israel are already the subject of outreach from Jewish donors seeking assurances.
As donors deliberate whether to confront, withdraw, or redirect their influence, the party faces a consequential choice: allow fringe antisemitic influences to gain traction or actively enforce boundaries that keep such voices outside mainstream Republican politics.
