Fierce Senate Hearing for Trump’s Frum Envoy; Democrats Move to Block the Appointment
Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as the U.S. Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for an intense and often contentious confirmation hearing. He was joined by five other nominees scheduled for ambassador-level posts under the new administration. The process, standard for high-level government appointments, involved several hours of probing questions from senators in both parties.
Kaploun arrived at the Senate with several symbolic personal items. Among them were a booklet containing a chassidic discourse titled “Blessed Is He Who Performed a Miracle for Me” and a single U.S. dollar bill he personally received from the Lubavitcher Rebbe 35 years ago. He placed these items inside the binder of briefing materials used for the hearing. According to sources, after the session ended, White House officials reached out to tell him they were pleased with his performance, despite the confrontational tone of parts of the hearing.
The public hearing followed many months of rigorous vetting conducted by the U.S. government, a standard examination of a nominee’s background, integrity, and positions on a wide array of issues.
At the start of his remarks, Kaploun described his firsthand experiences with antisemitism in the United States, recalling childhood memories of being taunted with slurs while walking to synagogue in Connecticut. He also spoke of losing his cousin in the October 7 massacre.
Kaploun told the committee: “This is not an easy task. Antisemitism is a symbol of much greater hatred. History has proven that when a nation begins to allow antisemitism, the results are not good for that country, because antisemitism is anti-American. Those who shout ‘Death to the Jews’ too often also shout ‘Death to America’.”
Photographs from the hearing showed Kaploun displaying the chassidic booklet and the dollar he received from the Rebbe, items he said were sources of strength and blessing.
Despite the significance of the position, Democratic lawmakers launched a coordinated effort to derail the nomination. Representative Jerry Nadler authored a sharply worded letter opposing Kaploun’s appointment, signed by 17 other Democratic members of Congress. Nadler and his colleagues argued that Kaploun, a longtime ally of President Trump, was a partisan choice who, in their view, overlooked antisemitism within the Republican camp. They further claimed they could not trust him because he had previously criticized Democratic support for what he described as Hamas-aligned positions.
The Democrats pointed to an English-language Jewish newspaper interview in which Kaploun had urged American Jewish leaders to vote for Trump because “the Democrats refuse even to recognize the women-raping, child-kidnapping terrorists as terrorists,” calling these comments “highly partisan statements.”
Ignoring the urgency of filling the role of special envoy to fight antisemitism, the lawmakers wrote: “Such a sweeping and false charge against those entrusted with Mr. Kaploun’s judgment raises serious concerns about his judgment, temperament, and ability to work effectively across party lines.” Rather than addressing the substantive issue of rising antisemitism in the United States and abroad, they claimed Kaploun was “Trump’s antisemitic scapegoat.” Kaploun declined to respond to their accusations during the hearing.
Kaploun was born in Kfar Chabad and immigrated to the United States as a toddler. His family settled in Crown Heights, close to the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s study hall. Over the years he emerged as a prominent Jewish supporter of Donald Trump, developing ties during Trump’s New York years. His relationship with the Trump political orbit strengthened through Kaploun’s business partner, Ed Russo, who served as an environmental adviser to Trump, as well as through connections with major Jewish philanthropists, including the Adelson family.
During Trump’s campaign last year, Kaploun served as a key figure in Jewish voter outreach. He coordinated meetings between Trump and leading rabbis and communal figures. About six months ago, Trump rewarded Kaploun’s efforts by offering him the special envoy position.
The period for submitting letters of support or opposition to Kaploun and the other nominees remains open until Thursday morning. Expectations are that Kaploun will be sworn in by the end of the week. The State Department has already prepared a dedicated office for him and is awaiting final Senate approval so he can begin his work combating the surge in antisemitism.
Trump announced his intention to appoint Kaploun shortly after winning the election. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly welcomed the nomination, writing: “I am confident Yehuda will serve America and the Jewish people well. I look forward to working together with Yehuda to confront this growing threat to Jews and free societies everywhere.”
Israeli President Herzog also congratulated Kaploun. In a post on X he wrote: “Mazal tov to Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun on his appointment as the United States Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism. With a long record of success across varied fields, Rabbi Kaploun is uniquely suited to lead this sacred mission.”
Herzog added: “Antisemitism is not just a threat to Jews around the world – it is a stain on the moral fabric of every society. The fight against this ancient hatred must be a global effort – for the sake of the Jewish people and for the soul of humanity.”
According to Herzog, Kaploun’s appointment “reflects the profound commitment” of the current U.S. administration and President Trump “to the American Jewish community, to its security, freedom, dignity, and well-being, and to the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas – in which Rabbi Kaploun has also played an important role.”
He concluded: “As the Jewish people prepare to mark the seventh day of Pesach – commemorating the miraculous splitting of the sea and the triumph of faith over fear – we are reminded that the journey to freedom continues in every generation. Rabbi Kaploun’s leadership is now an inseparable part of that sacred journey. May he go from strength to strength.”
{Matzav.com}
