Last week, religious leaders called on Scott Wagner to apologize for his anti-semitic remarks calling George Soros, a Holocaust survivor, a “Hungarian Jew” with a “hatred for America.” Later, Wagner even claimed that his remarks were made as a joke. Yet, Wagner has yet to apologize for his offensive remarks.
BACKGROUND
“Wagner could not be reached for comment on Sunday.” [York Daily Record, 8/27/17]
“Religious leaders are calling on state Sen. Scott Wagner, a Republican candidate for governor and wealthy York County businessman, to apologize for recently calling Holocaust survivor and wealthy businessman George Soros “a Hungarian Jew….’ On Friday, Wagner told The Philadelphia Inquirer he was joking. That caused three rabbis and three Christian pastors to write a letter asking Wagner to apologize for his comments in light of his hope of becoming governor of all Pennsylvanians.” [The Morning Call, 8/25/17]
“In an open letter to Wagner, three rabbis, two Baptist preachers and St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Dallastown Rev. Christopher Rodkey are calling on Wagner to apologize “to not only members of the Jewish community that you were elected to serve, but to all Pennsylvanians that you hope to represent as governor one day….’ The letter closes by telling Wagner, ‘We are disturbed that you referred to these comments as your idea of ‘a little humor,’ and hope that you will clarify this characterization and illustrate that this incident does not reveal your true belief system.’” [York Daily Record, 8/27/17]
“Wagner, who just that day had published an op-ed on PennLive.com, knocking Democrats for suggesting he was too slow to respond to the violence sparked by a white-supremacist march in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12, started talking about George Soros, the billionaire conservatives love to hate for making major financial donations to liberal political campaigns. Wagner, in the video, called Soros a ‘Hungarian Jew’ who ‘made a fortune’ but has a ‘hatred for America.’” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/25/17]