On the third day that President Donald Trump was back in office, former Fox News contributor Leo Terrell woke up and signed onto X. The civil rights lawyer and former-Democrat-turned-Trump-acolyte spent the morning in a very Trump-like manner: governing by tweet. 

Terrell was just beginning a new position at the Department of Justice as senior counsel to Harmeet Dhillon, Trump’s as-yet-unconfirmed nominee to be assistant attorney general for civil rights, when he sent a series of tweets decrying allegations of antisemitism at Columbia University and pledging to take action against it. 

“I want antisemitic conduct [to] stop now! Federal action is necessary and mandatory!” he wrote in one early morning post.

“Attention Board of Trustees of all colleges and universities allowing antisemitic behavior to take place. You have a fiduciary duty to protect Jewish students! Expect a letter from me in the immediate future!” Terrell, who is 70, wrote in another.

Terrell’s tweets that morning revealed an interest in using his role to combat antisemitism, a goal that was bolstered by this week’s announcement that Terrell will lead a multiagency task force focused on antisemitism, particularly at schools and on college campuses. 

“Antisemitism in any environment is repugnant to this nation’s ideals,” Terrell said in a statement announcing the task force. “The department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found.” 

Despite his apparent personal interest in fighting antisemitism, Terrell does not have many connections to advocates in the Jewish community who work on the issue. Ken Marcus, the founder and chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and a senior Education Department official in Trump’s first term, told Jewish Insider he has never met Terrell.

“Great messaging though,” Marcus said. “His social media postings have been a real source of encouragement.”

Ellie Cohanim, who served as deputy special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism during Trump’s first term, also has not met Terrell, though she offered praise of his appointment to the Justice Department.

“Leo has the Jewish people in his heart, he is a dedicated advocate and Jewish Americans will undoubtedly experience greater safety and security as a result,” Cohanim said.

Harvard alum Shabbos Kestenbaum, who is suing the school over alleged civil rights violations relating to antisemitism at the Ivy League university, called Terrell an “excellent ally” and said he is working on scheduling a roundtable with Terrell and Jewish students, although no such meeting has yet been confirmed. Kestenbaum has only communicated with Terrell on X.

Terrell’s biggest backer in the Jewish community is Dov Hikind, a firebrand former New York State assemblymember who began identifying as a Republican after leaving office in 2018. The two of them haven’t met; like Kestenbaum, they only have a relationship on X, where Terrell has said Trump should nominate Hikind to be the U.S. antisemitism special envoy.

“This is a guy who cares deeply about antisemitism, and it’s real and it’s genuine. He’s very, very special,” Hikind told JI. 

Like Hikind, Terrell switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in recent years. Branding himself as “Leo 2.0,” Terrell, a longtime talk radio host in Los Angeles, endorsed Trump’s 2020 campaign and joined Fox News as an analyst and commentator in early 2021. Since then, Terrell has presented himself as one of Trump’s most devoted followers. Trump described Terrell as a “fantastic advocate for the American People” in a January Truth Social post announcing Terrell’s appointment. 

In Terrell’s words, his strong opposition to antisemitism is tied to other right-wing culture war issues favored by Trump allies, suggesting he views antisemitism as a problem emanating solely from the political left. In a post on X days before Trump’s inauguration, he listed antisemitism as just one of many ideologies he abhors.

“I hate anti-Semitism! I hate attacks on Catholic Families! I hate attacks on parents expressing their First Amendment Rights at School Board Meetings! I hate Sanctuary Cities! I hate DEI! I hate Critical Race Theory!” Terrell wrote in the post. 

Three days after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks, Terrell criticized the Black Lives Matter movement — a frequent target of his — for a post from the movement’s Chicago chapter celebrating Hamas’ massacre. 

“Does not represent Black Americans,” Terrell wrote in a post on X. Less than an hour later, he posted a follow-up message: “#BLM is a racist and antisemitic organization. #BLM is an arm of Democrats Party.” 

In early 2020, just months before Terrell endorsed Trump and disavowed the Democratic Party, he sang a different tune, decrying the rise in antisemitism during Trump’s presidency during a Fox News interview where he described himself as a Democrat.

“There’s been a rise in antisemitic violence this year, during the Trump administration,” said Terrell, who repeatedly pointed out that the majority of Jews vote Democratic. “White supremacists are comfortable with Trump. That’s why they endorse him. That’s why they like him. He provides them cover.” 

A spokesperson for Terrell declined to make him available for an interview.