As President Donald Trump’s administration, and the new GOP-controlled Congress, take shape, much is still unknown about how they’ll approach the domestic antisemitism crisis that has accelerated since Trump’s last term in office. 

American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, who represented his South Florida district in Congress for 12 years, has some recommendations.

In an interview with Jewish Insider this week, Deutch urged the Trump administration to follow the Biden administration in issuing its own national strategy to combat antisemitism, as well as appoint a White House official responsible for combating antisemitism full-time.

“The president can send a very strong signal by appointing someone to serve in that capacity, to focus on the challenges that we’re seeing across the country domestically,” Deutch said. “And there is — as our call to action against antisemitism makes clear — a need for us to tackle antisemitism using a whole-of-society approach. And the White House can help drive that.”

The Biden administration’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism formally expired in May 2024. Deutch said that the new administration must create its own to send a strong message about the need to combat antisemitism in all sectors, including government, civil society, education and business, and about the impact antisemitism has on society as a whole.

Establishing a White House antisemitism coordinator was one of the key provisions of the Countering Antisemitism Act, which failed to pass Congress last year amid opposition from key figures on both sides of the aisle; some Republicans had objected to the idea of a new White House post.

Deutch also urged the Trump administration and Congress to ensure sufficient funding for the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the division responsible for investigating and litigating complaints of antisemitic discrimination on campuses.

Trump has suggested that he’ll eliminate the Department of Education entirely, raising questions about what the future of civil rights enforcement in education looks like at the federal level.

Deutch declined to weigh in on the future of the department as a whole, but said that “there is strong support across the political spectrum” for OCR’s mission in combating antisemitism. 

“I know there will be many more broader conversations about the role of the federal government in education, but OCR plays a critical role right now in pursuing these cases in universities around the country to help keep Jewish students safe,” Deutch said, “and they need to continue doing that, and and there seems to be strong support to enable them to do that.”

He also urged the Trump administration to make it a “very high priority” to nominate a State Department special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, to replace former Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt.

Deutch sat down with JI on Capitol Hill on Monday between meetings with House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI), House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Greg Meeks (D-NY) and first-term Sens. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Andy Kim (D-NJ).

Deutch said he had an “excellent meeting” with Walberg, who took over this month as chairman of the committee that last year held high-profile hearings with college presidents and issued a sweeping report on campus antisemitism.

“Antisemitism is a severe problem on college campuses — and it’s only getting worse. I had a productive meeting with Ted to discuss how the Committee can work with partners like the AJC and the Trump administration to combat surging antisemitism on campus and keep Jewish students safe,” Walberg said in a statement to JI. “As a former colleague, I know Ted will be an invaluable partner in that mission.”

Deutch said Walberg is “committed” to continuing to tackle campus antisemitism both through “a range of potential legislative issues” and in using the committee’s “convening authority” to call forward university leaders and elevate the voices of Jewish students.

“That’s very powerful, and he’s committed to it, and we’re committed to working with him to help accomplish that,” Deutch said.

Deutch added that he sees an opportunity for Walberg and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, to work together to “produce meaningful legislation.” And he called on the committees to “take their show on the road,” to visit college campuses, see firsthand the challenges Jewish students are facing and show university leaders that they’re taking the issue seriously.

Deutch also said that his meetings with Meeks as well as House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL) and other Hill leaders have made clear that there are “opportunities now to really envision a new Middle East, with Israel having normalized relations with more and more countries, to keep Israelis safe, to strengthen Israeli security and Israel’s economy, for the benefit of the region and the world.” 

“We’re really hoping that, in a bipartisan way, everyone will seize the opportunity,” he said.

AJC has worked closely with the families of hostages held in Gaza, including helping to arrange meetings between them and members of Congress. Deutch, who said he’s become close to many of the families, described it as “really moving” to see the families onstage with Trump at the president’s inauguration rally on Monday.

“It’s important for them to have that opportunity, for them personally to know that they’re supported, and to be reminded that this continues to be a priority for our country,” Deutch said.

He urged the administration and Congress to work to ensure that the ongoing hostage deal continues through all three planned phases to see all of the hostages are returned home.

“This is an American issue and everyone in elected office plays a role in helping to ensure that it remains front and center for the American people and ultimately for the world,” he said.