Anti-Semitic Targeting of Journalists During the 2016 Presidential Ca | Page 8

SPIKE ANALYSIS

As stated, there is no known causal relationship between Mr. Trump or his campaign and the wave of anti-Semitic attacks
against journalists. However, these self-appointed Trump surrogates used events in the campaign, especially actions by
Mr. Trump, as a justification for attacking journalists.
Examples:

• One of the most significant spikes in anti-Semitic Tweets occurred on/around March 13, 2016, when Mr. Trump blamed
Bernie Sanders for violence at a Trump rally.

• There was a similar spikes in anti-Semitic Twitter activity on February 29, 2016, during peak coverage of Trump’s refusal
to “disavow” the Ku Klux Klan

• Another spike occurred on May 17, when Melania Trump asserted that Julia Ioffe “provoked” the anti-Semitic attacks
against her;

• A similar spike occurred May 25, 2016, when Trump verbally attacked a federal judge whose parents emigrated from Mexico.

7