MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — DAZN boxing reporter and pro-Israel activist Emily Austin told Breitbart News at the Republican National Convention that President Donald Trump will protect Jews — while President Joe Biden “can’t.”
Austin, who boasts 2.3 million Instagram followers, is often seen ringside at boxing matches — but has also become widely known in the political world since “coming out” as a conservative and as a staunch defender of Israel.
She is at the convention as part of a group of conservative content creators enlisted to promote the conservative message to “Gen Z” and youth audiences. She is passionate about politics, boxing, and — especially — about Israel.
Austin grew up in a religious Jewish community in New York and became well-known for interviewing athletes on social media as she pursued an interest in sports journalism. She told Breitbart News that she had visited Israel throughout her life, and had become a dual Israeli-American citizen on October 4, thinking she wanted a place of refuge in case of a second Holocaust. She could not have imagined the horror that took place just three days later.
Though open about her support for Israel prior to October 7, she went “full force” after the terror attack, sacrificing her sponsors because of her passion for speaking out against Hamas and against antisemitism.
“Why wouldn’t God give me a platform if I can’t use it for good?” she observed.
She has also become a gun owner since October 7, and is passionate about the Second Amendment, citing it as essential for the self-defense of Jewish communities.
Despite the growing danger of antisemitism, Austin said that she is not moving to Israel just yet. “I’m not moving to Israel — not because I don’t love it … but we should be nervous, and we should take it to the ballots.”
She said she does not plan to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) — which she supports in other ways — but would join the U.S. military if the need arose. “America first — Israel a very, very very close second,” she said.
She said that she understood those conservatives who were skeptical of American support for any foreign country — including Israel — but said that their skepticism was the result of Ukraine being conflated with Israel.
Israel, she said, is the only democracy in the Middle East, a “beacon of light” in the Middle East, protecting Christians and other minorities as well as Jews.
Austin said that a highlight of the convention for her thus far had been Monday’s prayer for the Israeli hostages in Gaza. She also noted the “newfound sense of unity” at the convention, bringing different conservative factions together on the floor.
She observed that Republicans and the country as a whole were seeing a “new side” to former President Donald Trump in the wake of Saturday’s assassination attempt, which came millimeters away from killing him.
Finally, she praised DAZN as “an amazing company to work for. They let me say whatever I want.” Combat sports, she said, had a large number of conservatives. She believes she has inspired conservative athletes to “come out” as well.