Second gentleman Doug Emhoff addresses antisemitism at Chicago fundraiser for Kamala Harris campaign

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, was in Chicago on Wednesday, just days ahead of the Democratic National Convention.In remarks to about 50 people at a West Loop fundraiser, Emhoff condemned antisemitism, while U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., stressed the importance of maintaining strong ties with Israel.The fundraiser was in the home of Lee Rosenberg, a senior adviser to Gov. JB Pritzker, the first of three stops on Emhoff’s trip to help raise money for his wife’s presidential campaign.Emhoff began by telling the crowd how excited he was for Harris to officially accept her party’s presidential nomination next week. Delegates last week.“She’s a great leader, and she’s going to be a great president,” Emhoff said. Emhoff, who is Jewish, praised Harris for her work since the Oct. 7 attack on .“The Kamala Harris I knew when I met her, I didn’t have to explain to her who I was,” Emhoff said. “She knew who I was, who I was as a Jewish person.“Since that horrific day of Oct. 7 … I saw firsthand from my vantage point, the work that she and President Biden did right away. It was really comforting to me … to see her spring into action that way.” Emhoff spoke about how unfortunate it was for the Biden and Harris administration to inherit the issues they did from Donald Trump’s administration and assured attendees that Harris would continue to combat antisemitism. “When they got to office, post-Trump, there’s so many things that Biden and Harris inherited. ... One of those things was hate,” he said.“You could see it, you could feel it. ... You could feel the antisemitism brewing,” Emhoff added, citing the 2018 shooting at the in Pittsburgh that left 11 dead and six wounded. Cardin said the United States needs “an administration that recognizes America’s global responsibilities and can form the type of alliances for our national security, and that’s the Harris-Walz ticket.”Harris “understands the importance of that relationship” with Israel, Cardin added. “On Oct. 7, I saw what the Biden and Harris administration did ... and made it clear that Israel has a responsibility to defend itself, and the United States will always be there for Israel.” Emhoff outlined the consequences of another Trump presidency, saying that Donald Trump was “unfit for office.”“He cannot be anywhere near the White House,” Emhoff said. “There should be no nostalgia for that presidency. He’s weak, and Kamala Harris smells weakness. She can see a fake tough guy from a mile away.” Emhoff made a second fundraising stop in Chicago Wednesday before heading to north suburban Glencoe.