Former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster, N.J. golf club hosted convicted antisemitic Jan. 6 rioter Timothy Hale-Cusanelli twice this summer, NPR has revealed. You may remember Hale-Cusanelli as the individual who threatened Jews – targeting Lakewood specifically. One of the events where he was hosted was a fundraiser for a group supporting Capitol riot defendants, which Trump personally endorsed via a video message, calling the attendees “amazing patriots.”
Hale-Cusanelli, described by federal prosecutors as a “white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer,” has made deeply disturbing comments about Jewish people, including statements like “Hitler should have finished the job” and publishing antisemitic content online.
Prior to storming the Capitol, Hale-Cusanelli ran a now-defunct YouTube channel named Based Hermes in which he incessantly parroted anti-Semitic tropes and conspiracies. He was also alleged by colleagues to be a Nazi sympathizer who would wear Hitler mustaches and say things like: “I’ll eat the Jews for breakfast.”
The Trump campaign distanced itself from Hale-Cusanelli, saying the former president was “not even aware of this individual.” However, Trump has repeatedly supported the Patriot Freedom Project, a nonprofit group linked to Hale-Cusanelli’s legal defense. At both Bedminster events, Hale-Cusanelli was celebrated, receiving an award in August for promoting “God, family, and country.”
Hale-Cusanelli, who was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in the Capitol riot, has since embraced conspiracy theories, claiming the Jan. 6 attack was a government setup. Despite his documented hate speech, he continues to receive support from some conservative activists.
Following the events at Bedminster, Trump hosted an event dedicated to fighting antisemitism, where he said, “This vicious outbreak of militant antisemitism must be given no quarter, no safe harbor.” Hale-Cusanelli, however, appeared undeterred by his past controversies, celebrating his appearances at Trump’s club online with the post, “Great time at Trump Bedminster YET AGAIN!”