Doug Emhoff tried to pay homage to Hanukkah. It didn’t go over so well.
To remind, Doug Emhoff is Kamala Harris’ husband. We get it - you don’t remember or care - he, like his wife with just about any task she's assigned, tends not to do much. Unfortunately for him, Emhoff’s latest attempt at pandering might just cement his name in the history books as someone other than just the dude married to our Vice Gaffe Machine.
In a head nod to Jews, Emhoff - or whoever he lets run his account - took to X Monday night to give his insight into the Hanukkah celebration and why it means so much to him personally. In fact, given the fact that Emhoff is himself of Jewish descent, that'd mean he would actually know the story of Hanukkah.
Turns out, not so much.
“The story of Hanukkah and the story of the Jewish people has always been one of hope and resilience. In the Hanukkah story, the Jewish people were forced into hiding. No one thought they would survive or that the few drops of oil they had would last. But they survived and the oil kept burning,” Emhoff wrote in a now-deleted post.
“During those eight days in hiding, they recited their prayers and continued their traditions. That’s why Hanukkah means dedication. It was during those dark nights that the Maccabees dedicated themselves to maintaining hope and faith in the oil, each other, and their Judaism. In these dark times, I think of that story,” he concluded.
There’s just one little problem: that’s not the Hanukkah story. Not even a little bit.
The Hanukkah festival celebrates the victory by a Jewish resistance movement led by the Maccabees over the Syrian armies of Antiochus in 168 B.C.E. According to the story, after the Jews retook the Temple from their enemies, they set about purifying and rededicating it to God according to Jewish custom. Upon entering the Temple, which had been set up in worship of Greek gods under Antiochus, the Jews found only one jar of pure oil - enough to last a single day. But per the story, the oil unexpectedly lasted for eight days until the return of the messenger who’d been sent for more, marking the “Hanukkah miracle” now symbolized by the lighting of the menorah.
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No one went into hiding. No one depended on “a few drops of oil” for survival. And Emhoff’s Anne Frank-esque retelling of the story proves he knows about as much about Jews and their culture as his wife does about border security and foreign policy.
And the internet had thoughts.
“Can’t wait for Doug’s Christmas message about the meaning of Santa’s birth under a pine tree with three Magi riding reindeers,” one person wrote.
“I'm a Baptist and I know far more about Hannukah and the incredible bravery of the Maccabees than you do,” another chimed in.
“Oh. My. God. And there’s no one even minimally literate enough in the East Wing to have corrected this. This is like Lucy explaining fir trees to Linus and saying they give fur for coats. Only Lucy is 5 years old,” the New York Post’s John Podhoretz commented.
The Free Beacon’s Noah Pollack mocked Emhoff’s post with a dramatic retelling of his own.
“The story of Hanukkah and the story of the Jewish people has always been one of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In the Hanukkah story, the Jewish people were forced into hiding by MAGA white supremacists. No one thought they would survive or that the few drops of CBD oil they had would last. But they survived and the CBD oil helped their anxiety,” he wrote. “During those eight days in hiding, they recited antiracist mantras and discussed their triggers. That’s why Hanukkah means equity. It was during those dark nights that the Maccabees dedicated themselves to fighting for social justice in Palestine. In these dark times, I think of that story.”
Makes about as much sense as Emhoff's did.
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