Kamala Harris VP pick sparks war of words between Jay Jacobs and Bruce Blakeman

Nassau County Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs and Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman are waging a war of words over Kamala Harris’ choice of vice president – and whether it was rooted in antisemitism. 

Blakeman released a statement on Tuesday in response to Harris’ decision to tap Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. He charged that Harris “caved” to antisemitic pressure from the left by not choosing Shapiro, who is Jewish. “Anti-Semitism is un-American,” Blakeman said. “Not picking Gov Shapiro because he is observant Jewish is wrong.” He accused Harris of being “indifferent” to antisemitic incidents with Jewish students and said she “cannot be trusted to keep Jewish citizens safe.” 

This didn't sit well with Jacobs, who is also the head of the state Democratic Party. “As an American first and as a member of the Jewish faith, I have never been as shocked and appalled by such nonsensical and inflammatory statements by people I actually know…” Jacobs said in a statement released Wednesday. He added that statements like those from Blakeman and fellow Nassau County Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito are “designed to stoke fear, promote more hatred and sow division in our county and our country.”

Blakeman quickly fired back at Jacobs on Wednesday, accusing the Democratic leader of failing to call out antisemitism in his own party. “Has he ever called for (Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar or Rashida Tlaib) to be thrown out of the Democrat Party?” Blakeman questioned in a fresh statement. “They are all virulent anti-Semites! He might actually have some credibility on the issue of anti-Semitism if he did.” Blakeman said if not, Jacobs’ words “ring hollow.”

Reached by City & State to see if he had his own response to Blakeman’s response, Jacobs pointed to the fact that the left wing of his party has no love for him. “There is a reason why those on the Far Left do not like me and it is exactly because I have always called them out on their outrageous statements, especially the antisemitism right after October 7th,” Jacobs told City & State in a text. “The County Executive should know better than to spew baseless, highly-charged, crazy hateful comments like his last one.