Previously undisclosed details from President Donald Trump’s extraordinary Oval Office meeting with leading American Admorim and Roshei Yeshiva are now emerging, revealing a remarkable closed-door conversation that touched on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Reb Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, Iran and Trump’s overwhelming support in Chareidi communities.
The meeting, held at the White House earlier this month, included the Satmar Rebbes Rav Aharon Teitelbaum and Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, the Bobover Rebbe Rav Benzion Halberstam, the Vizhnitz-Monsey Rebbe Rav Yisroel Hager, BMG Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, and Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky, representing his father, the Skverer Rebbe.
According to new details published by Ami Magazine and subsequently reported in Israeli Chareidi media, Trump at one point abruptly turned to the delegation and asked, “You all don’t like Bibi?”
One of the rabbonim immediately responded: “We love Trump.”
The conversation later turned to Trump’s relationship with the Chareidi community — and produced some of the meeting’s most memorable moments.
“You guys are funny,” Trump told the delegation. “I send B-2 bombers to Iran, blow them to smithereens, and if I hadn’t done that they would have wiped out Israel, but for that I don’t get a thank you from you. On the other hand, I pardoned that butcher from Iowa…he has some funny name (Rubashkin, ed.) and everyone’s happy.”
After those present reminded Trump that he was referring to Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, the president joked, “Yeah, Rubashkin. Is that guy even still alive?”
Reb Yoel Rosenfeld, who accompanied the Bobover Rebbe, explained just how profoundly Rubashkin’s release had affected the frum community.
“Mr. President, there were wild dancing in the streets of Brooklyn when that happened.”
Trump immediately responded: “Brooklyn? Well, I got 94% of the vote in your areas.”
The president then reportedly gave the delegation his own account of what led him to commute Rubashkin’s sentence in December 2017.
Trump recalled questioning why Rubashkin, a first-time nonviolent offender, had received a 27-year federal prison sentence. More than 100 former senior Justice Department officials, federal judges, prosecutors, attorneys general and legal scholars had previously appealed to Trump for clemency, calling the sentence “patently unjust and draconian.”
According to the newly published account, Trump told the rabbonim that he confronted a prosecutor over the extraordinarily harsh punishment.
“That was total antisemitism. I called the prosecutor and asked, ‘Why’d you give this person 28 years? He had some illegal immigrants, but who doesn’t have? You get a fine, not 28 years.’ The prosecutor said, ‘he deserved much more.’ I told him, ‘You’re an anti-Semite. I’m pardoning him.’”
Trump ultimately commuted Rubashkin’s sentence in 2017, triggering spontaneous celebrations across Jewish communities in Brooklyn, Lakewood, Monsey and elsewhere.
Additional details reveal the extraordinary preparation that went into the White House meeting. Cards containing photographs and information about each participant were reportedly placed on Trump’s desk, along with statistics showing the enormous support he received in the communities represented by the delegation.
The gathering itself was the culmination of years of efforts to establish a direct channel between senior Chareidi leadership and the White House. Organizers presented the administration with an agenda that included government interference in yeshiva education, treatment of Jewish prisoners, security funding and the federal battle against antisemitism.
Trump reportedly personally insisted that the rabbonim be received in the Oval Office rather than another White House room, viewing the setting as an appropriate show of respect for the delegation.
The historic gathering also produced another extraordinary moment: the two Satmar Rebbes, brothers who lead separate Satmar kehillos and have been estranged for decades, spoke and shook hands at the White House.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
8 Responses
“You guys are funny,” Trump told the delegation. “I send B-2 bombers to Iran, blow them to smithereens, and if I hadn’t done that they would have wiped out Israel, but for that I don’t get a thank you from you. On the other hand, I pardoned that butcher from Iowa…he has some funny name (Rubashkin, ed.) and everyone’s happy.”
There’s unfortunately nothing funny about this if true. Why is it that they didn’t thank Mr Trump for his support of safety of the inhabitants of E. Israel. You don’t become a Zionist by supporting those who eliminate threats to Jews in E. Israel!
POTUS tells it like it is. Why was there no hakaros hatov for saving the lives of thousands of our brethren from the threat of Iran? Because that is in Israel, so it doesn’t count?
Sounds like he really threw them for a loop when he asked about Bibi.
What a bizayon HaTorah to go kiss this degenerate adulterous dumbbell’s feet
I definitely have major gratitude for those B-2 bombers but this 6 months of uncertainty is driving the world nuts and it’s time to take out the world’s Chief terrorists before they build another one which is all but guaranteed if things quiet down. So Mr President finish the job
@A.J.M and @Rocky
Wars are waged all the time, and Jews are obviously grateful if a country’s war happens to benefit Jews anywhere. The President surely knows that.
But his taking the personal step of reversing that severe miscarriage of justice against that Jew – especially when he was busy fighting those against him at the same time – is truly remarkable and very much worth the exceptional display of gratitude he received for that.
@RT:
Despite your severe TDS, the actual Torah value is to maintain good relationships with the ruler of the country, all the more so to one that brings morality to the country (like not allowing men in women’s sports and on and on).
YWN has allowed worse posts but not mine…!
rt: No—we are not appreciative becasue we a re too frum to care about worls orders or USA politics. We had mekerovim lemalchus in ALL generations (at least one) which was licking the feet, etc…
If we are shut in our ghettos and ignore all that goes on (Rubashkin seesm to be something that perked the eras of the community—why?)
Time to contemplate….
As Hashem rules lev malchim directly, hopefully rabonim got the message.
Why wasn’t daylight savings time discussed??