'I had no idea': Russell Cleveland chagrined after social media account 'liked' antisemitic content

A verified social media account belonging to Russell Cleveland drew criticism Tuesday after appearing to ‘like’ an antisemitic comment on Facebook/Instagram.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t vote for anybody who takes money from those stinking Jews,” an online user wrote last week.

The comment was on a post endorsing Cleveland made by Bryan Andrews, a Missouri-based anti-MAGA country music singer.

Cleveland rebuked the comment on Facebook after an interview with the Chronicle in which he quickly apologized. The commenter subsequently followed with a post saying her initial post was sarcastic and she is Jewish herself.

“It appears this is showing my account as liking this comment,” Cleveland said after receiving a screenshot sent to the newspaper by a concerned member of the Bozeman Jewish community on Monday. “I had no idea.”

The initial reaction to the original comment nevertheless raised eyebrows in a community increasingly sensitive to antisemitism from both political parties in Montana politics.

“This comment was brought to my attention today, April 28,” Cleveland said, replying on social media about 90 minutes after his conversation with the Chronicle. “I urge you not to use this type of language. My campaign incidentally liked your comment prior, but for the record, this is Russ not his team, I do not agree with or condone this sentiment. Let’s be careful with our words!”

Cleveland then said to the Chronicle: “My team and I do not condone these types of antisemitic comments, nor support them. This viral post had thousands of views, likes and comments, and it is not uncommon for us to engage where we can to try and drive algorithm metrics.

“This is antisemitic. I don’t approve of that comment. I wouldn’t have liked it intentionally.”

Four or five other campaign staff have access to Cleveland’s account, per the U.S. 1st Congressional District candidate who is running in the Democratic primary against Ryan Busse, Sam Forstag and Matt Rains.

Rabbi Chaim Bruk, co-CEO and spiritual leader of Chabad Lubavitch, a Bozeman-based Jewish community, said he appreciated Cleveland’s response.

“I’m absolutely glad he said that,” Bruk said. “I’m not saying people never make a mistake on social media. I have no reason to believe anything else other than what (Cleveland) said.

“We live in a world over the last two years that has decided to be openly comfortable with all forms of bigotry and hatred toward Jews. I think it would behoove him to come and visit, get an understanding of the Montana Jewish community.”

Bruk, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, also mentioned Forstag and his past criticism of The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

“I met with Sam Forstag at an event in Bozeman a few weeks ago,” Bruk said. “I told him he’s got to stop talking about this AIPAC stuff. AIPAC is just a code word for the Jews.”

AIPAC is a bipartisan nonprofit organization lobbying for strong U.S.-Israel relations. A major lobbyist, it supports pro-Israel candidates via its political action committee and United Democracy Project Super PAC. The group spent approximately $53 million in 2024 on more than 360 electoral races.

Cleveland segued into the misconception that not supporting Israel as a country is often construed with not supporting the Jewish people.

“I have great issue with the country of Israel right now, particularly their leadership and the aggression they’re taking, their stance on the broader Middle East (conflicts),” he said. “I also think they play a major role in the reason (the U.S.) is in Iran right now, and American troops are being killed.

“So not only do we send billions of dollars, armaments to (Israel), we continue to do their bidding. That is where I take issue. My foreign policy issues speak to Israel itself and their American-funded war machine. It doesn’t extend to the Jewish people. It’s important Americans start recognizing there is a difference in those two things. The rogue leadership of the country of Israel poses grave danger to the Jewish people on a broader scale.

“We’ve gone down this path as a country where any attempt to correct the actions of a longtime ally like Israel are framed as being antisemitic. That is not the case. We have to be able to call injustice when we see it. It’s not a prejudice.”