Elliot Resnick is top editor of the Jewish Press, whose website says it’s been “politically incorrect long before the phrase was coined.”
The top editor of a self-described “politically incorrect” Orthodox Jewish newspaper — a Donald Trump booster who scored a recent interview with the former president’s impeachment attorney — was among those who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to a POLITICO review of footage captured that day.
Elliot Resnick, chief editor of the New York-based Jewish Press, is visible in a video taken during the siege as he crosses the Capitol Rotunda, just behind a small group of police clad in tactical gear. As an alarm blared, Resnick entered a vestibule where a group of eight people surrounded a lone Capitol Police officer standing in front of an entryway with cracked window panes, other members of the mob visible outside.
As Resnick neared the group, the video shows a rioter hollering at the officer: “You’ve got a job to do? That’s a poor excuse.” Resnick, who bumped up against the yelling man, briefly appeared to begin speaking to the officer before the camera cut away.
Resnick has drawn attention in recent years for incendiary and bigoted comments — labeling African religions as “primitive” and suggesting white supremacy is fictional — and is a longtime vocal supporter of Donald Trump. Just days after Trump’s acquittal in his second impeachment trial, Resnick landed an interview with the former president’s lead attorney, David Schoen. And he’s defended the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in print without acknowledging his previously unreported presence in the building that day.
Resnick’s ultra-conservative politics are rare among the broader community of U.S. Jews, which tilts overwhelmingly toward Democrats. But even among more conservative Orthodox Jews, his statements stand out under the banner of the six-decade-old Jewish Press, whose website touts that it’s been “politically incorrect long before the phrase was coined.” Groups condemning his past rhetoric include the Anti-Defamation League, a mainstream Jewish American institution.
It’s unclear precisely what led Resnick to the Capitol on Jan. 6, including whether he attended Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally earlier that day. Neither Resnick nor the Jewish Press hold a congressional hard pass, a requirement for journalists who file regular reports from the Capitol.
For the past two weeks, Resnick has declined calls, emails and social media messages seeking comment. POLITICO also reached out repeatedly to leaders of The Jewish Press, sending detailed lists of questions about Resnick’s presence that day and whether the paper had authorized it. Those inquiries went unanswered until Monday night, when publisher Naomi Mauer issued a one-sentence response.
“As we understand the facts, we believe that Mr. Resnick acted within the law,” Mauer said in an email. She declined to elaborate or respond to an additional follow-up for more information.
Resnick has not faced charges for his presence in the Capitol, and the video captured of him on Jan. 6 does not show him engaging in or encouraging violence.
……..
- Discussion
-
Elliot Resnick, chief editor of the New York-based Jewish Press, is visible in a video taken during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol Rotunda https://t.co/jRzpZvPdFa
— POLITICO (@politico) April 8, 2021
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.