Claudia Tenney

Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-New York) has cryptically warned that antisemitic violence could mar the Knicks ticker-tape parade because superstar Jalen Brunson’s wife is Jewish.

The conservative Republican from the Rochester area made the remarks on Fox Business Channel when asked about the minor violence that broke out as New Yorkers celebrated the Knicks victory over the San Antonio in the NBA Finals.

“I’m worried about the violence,” Tenney said. “Look at Jalen Brunson. What an amazing American citizen. His wife is Jewish. She’s a physical therapist. Are we gonna see more antisemitism in this parade? I hope not.”

Tenney didn’t explain what she meant by “more antisemitism.” The Knicks win has been widely hailed across racial, ethnic and religious fault lines in New York.

She also didn’t elaborate on why the hundreds of thousands of Knicks fans expected to attend the parade would have a problem with Brunson, who was named most valuable player of the series, or his wife, Ali Marks Brunson.

Despite her suggestion, Tenney said she hoped “people can unify around sports.”

“It’s one of the great things about sports, is we can unify,” Tenney said. “And we can put political differences aside, and I hope we’re gonna continue to do that.”

Brunson and his wife were high school sweethearts in the Chicago area and tied the knot in 2023. They have a daughter, Jordyn James Brunson, who turns 2 next month.