Leo Terrell, the civil rights attorney tapped by President Donald Trump to chair the Justice Department's Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, is taking the administration's fight against Jew-hatred on the road. The 15-city "American Tour Against Hate" is designed to bring FBI and Justice Department officials directly into Jewish communities that have faced threats the federal government says have gone unaddressed.
The tour, first reported by Fox News Politics, marks a shift in how the Trump administration is approaching antisemitism: instead of waiting for victims to navigate federal bureaucracy in Washington, officials are going to them. FBI and DOJ personnel will be on hand in each city, according to the reporting, meeting with Jewish community members and local leaders about threats they have reported and the federal resources available to them.
Terrell, a former talk radio host and longtime civil rights attorney, was appointed to lead the task force as part of the Trump-Vance administration's broader push to confront antisemitism, particularly on college campuses. Social media posts reviewed by Next News Network show Terrell discussing the Justice Department's role in the effort: one Instagram reel posted by the account @jdforward describes Terrell as "the civil rights attorney in charge" of the administration's antisemitism work, while another reel posted by a DOJ-affiliated account features Terrell explaining how the department is proceeding.
The tour arrives as the administration faces scrutiny over its handling of antisemitism allegations. A report published Tuesday by The Harvard Crimson alleged that former interns on Terrell's task force described him as verbally abusive, with one former intern, Tejas S. Billa, alleging that Terrell threatened to choke him with a computer charger after Billa said he had left the charger at home. Billa reportedly shared the account with a DOJ office manager, who indicated the behavior had become a pattern, according to the Crimson. Terrell, in a statement to the Crimson, denied threatening to fire or choke Billa.
MSNBC's Katy Tur also covered Terrell's role in a segment posted to Instagram, a sign the appointment has drawn attention from mainstream outlets that have been skeptical of the administration's approach.
The White House, meanwhile, is promoting its religious liberty record. Metro Voice News reported that the administration released a list of 250 steps it has taken to advance religious liberty, including an executive order restoring biological truth to the federal government and affirming that there are only two sexes, male and female. The list is being pitched to Christian voters ahead of the midterm elections.
Jewish communities across the country have reported elevated threats since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the war that followed. Synagogues, day schools and community centers have faced bomb threats, vandalism and harassment. The Trump administration has argued that federal agencies under previous leadership were slow to respond, and that the task force is meant to change that.
It is not yet known which 15 cities the tour will visit or when it begins. The Justice Department did not release a schedule as of Wednesday, and it is not clear whether Terrell will appear at every stop. It is also not known whether the tour will include college campuses, which have been a focus of the task force's work.
For Jewish communities that have reported threats, the tour offers a direct line to federal law enforcement. Whether that translates into action — and whether the controversy surrounding Terrell's leadership becomes a distraction — will be measured city by city.
Our Take
Here's what the legacy media won't tell you: the Trump administration is doing something the Biden regime never did — putting federal law enforcement in the same room as the Jewish Americans who have been begging for help. For two years, Jewish students were harassed on campuses, synagogues were targeted, and the response from Washington was a shrug and a DEI seminar. Now the FBI and DOJ are going on the road, and the people who actually face these threats get to look their protectors in the eye.
Patriots, don't let the media's latest hit job on Leo Terrell fool you. The same outlets that spent years downplaying antisemitism on the left are suddenly horrified by an allegation from a former intern — an allegation Terrell denies. Where were their standards when campus encampments were cheering Hamas? The American Tour Against Hate is exactly the kind of direct, unapologetic action President Trump promised. The question is whether the Jewish communities this tour is meant to serve will get the protection they deserve — or whether the beltway crowd will try to sabotage it before the first stop.
