Famed Attorney Leo Terrell Appointed to Lead Trump Initiated Anti-Semitism Task Force

Famed Attorney Leo Terrell Appointed to Lead Trump Initiated Anti-Semitism Task Force

By: Fern Sidman

In a significant move aimed at combating anti-Semitism across the United States, the Trump administration announced the creation of a new cross-agency task force last week, appointing Leo Terrell as its head. However, as The Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) reported last week, the appointment has sparked discussion—not because of Terrell’s qualifications, but because he is not Jewish.

According to the information provided in the JTA report, Leo Terrell, an attorney and former Fox News contributor, has been appointed to serve as Senior Counsel in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. In this role, he will also lead the newly formed Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, a multi-agency initiative that includes representatives from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Education, and Health and Human Services (HHS).

Terrell, an African-American civil rights attorney, has been a vocal advocate against anti-Semitism in recent years. Despite his previous alignment with the NAACP and his former role as a liberal voice on Fox News, Terrell made a sharp political turn toward Republicanism in the 2000s, eventually becoming a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump, as noted in the JTA report.

Since taking on his new appointment, the JTA reported that Terrell has wasted no time in addressing anti-Semitism, particularly on college campuses. On the first day of the new semester, he took to social media to issue a stern warning to university administrators: “Attention Board of Trustees of all colleges and universities allowing anti-Semitic behavior to take place. You have a fiduciary duty to protect Jewish students! Expect a letter from me in the immediate future!”

This week, Terrell followed through on his promise, as the report at JTA indicated that the Department of Education has launched new Title VI investigations into multiple universities over allegations of fostering anti-Semitic environments, including Columbia University. These investigations are part of the task force’s early enforcement efforts and signal the Trump administration’s renewed commitment to holding institutions accountable for failing to protect Jewish students, according to the information in the JTA report.

As the JTA report detailed, Terrell’s appointment has raised eyebrows not just because of his legal and media background, but due to his evolving political stance. Once an outspoken critic of Trump, Terrell dramatically shifted his position in 2020, accusing Joe Biden of failing to condemn anti-Semitic rhetoric from such controversial figures as Louis Farrakhan and Al Sharpton.

According to the JTA report, Terrell has had a long-standing feud with Al Sharpton, whose relationship with the Jewish community has been fraught with acrimony dating back to the Crown Heights riots of 1992. In recent years, Terrell has been among the strongest critics of the Democratic Party’s approach to anti-Semitism, going as far as to declare: “No Jewish American in his or her right mind should vote Democrat.”

Terrell has also publicly condemned the Biden administration’s handling of anti-Semitic incidents, arguing that Trump has done more to combat anti-Semitism than his successor.

In his official statement announcing his appointment, the JTA reported that Terrell reaffirmed the Trump administration’s commitment to eradicating anti-Semitism: “Anti-Semitism in any environment is repugnant to this Nation’s ideals. The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found. The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump’s renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools.”

This task force, according to the JTA report, represents a more aggressive federal approach to tackling anti-Semitic discrimination, particularly in educational institutions. Given the rise in anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses, the initiative is expected to focus on enforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which protects students from discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin—including discrimination targeting Jewish students.

Despite initial skepticism regarding his appointment, the JTA reported that Terrell has received strong endorsements from Jewish leaders, including Dov Hikind, a longtime member of the New York State Assembly and tireless Jewish activist in New York. Hikind praised Terrell’s dedication to combating anti-Semitism, calling him “A great guy and a real mensch and cares deeply, deeply, deeply.”

Terrell’s appointment is likely to energize Trump’s supporters who prioritize strong action against anti-Semitism, while also fueling debate over the administration’s broader civil rights policies, the JTA report noted. Given his outspoken criticism of progressive policies on race and identity politics, Terrell’s leadership in a major federal anti-Semitism task force may shift the focus of how anti-Semitic incidents are handled in government institutions.

The creation of the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism marks a major step in the Trump administration’s renewed focus on tackling Jew-hatred in America. While some have questioned the appointment of a non-Jewish official to lead the initiative, Terrell’s strong track record of speaking out against anti-Semitism and his commitment to enforcing civil rights laws have won him support from key Jewish activists.

With anti-Semitism surging in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, the JTA report highlighted the importance of strong government intervention to protect Jewish students, enforce anti-discrimination laws, and hold institutions accountable. Whether Terrell’s task force will be effective in delivering tangible results remains to be seen, but as the JTA reported, the Trump administration’s stance on anti-Semitism has now been clearly defined—with an aggressive and forceful approach to addressing Jew-hatred at all levels of society.