Rep. Keith Ellison (D., Minn.), the Democratic National Committee's vice chairman, called President Donald Trump's plan to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel a "horrible tragedy."
Ellison was asked about the news that Trump would declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel on Wednesday by Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now!" He said the announcement would be "Trump stomping all over what we've been trying to do as a nation."
"It's just Trump stomping all over what we've been trying to do as a nation to foster a negotiated two-state solution for many, many years," Ellison said. "So it's really a horrible tragedy."
Ellison argued issues of where Israel's capital will be should be decided during peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
"This unilateral departure from that is really upsetting the idea that we're going to have a negotiated settlement," he said. "It is a dramatic departure from diplomacy."
Ellison was opposed by Democrats such as Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz during his run for party chairman due to his stance on Israel. The Anti-Defamation League said that Ellison's previous statements on Israel, such as his critique that Israel runs U.S. foreign policy, disqualified him as a candidate to run the party.