Curt Schilling surprises Jake Tapper by asking if he can explain why Jews support Democrats

Jake Tapper and Curt Schilling.Screenshot/CNN

Former star major league pitcher and conservative firebrand Curt Schilling, who’s strongly considering a run for Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Massachusetts Senate seat in 2018, asked CNN’s Jake Tapper to explain why Jews support Democrats in a Friday interview.

“I would like to ask you a question honestly Jake,” Schilling said, to which Tapper agreed.

The three-time World Series champion asked if Tapper was voting for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Tapper said no, adding that he doesn’t vote in presidential races.

“Okay, so I would like to ask you something as a person who’s practicing the Jewish faith and has since you were young,” Schilling then said. “I don’t understand — and maybe this is the amateur non-politician in me — I don’t understand how people of the Jewish faith can back the Democratic Party which over the last 50 years has been so clearly anti-Israel, so clearly anti-Jewish Israel.”

He added that he doesn’t know what else would have to be “done, said, or happen” for people to understand that the only reason Democrats have to be “aligned with Israel” is because of diplomatic agreements.

Tapper, who is Jewish, answered that he doesn’t “speak for Jews” or support either major political party. He added that Jewish support for Democrats might have more to do with the party’s support for social welfare programs than for Israel, and that many staunchly pro-Israel Jews do support the Republican Party.

But “I don’t speak for Jews,” he repeated.

“I know you don’t,” Schilling responded. “I just always find it a great conversation for somebody of your faith, because I want to understand the reasons behind some of those things, so I appreciate that.”

Earlier, Schilling said that his eventual choice to run for Senate will be “completely” a family decision.

Watch the remarks below: