--- title: Jewish Ex-Trump Staffer Accused of Making White Power Symbol description: Zina Gelman Bash, a Jewish Mexican-American lawyer, became fodder for conspiracy theories on Twitter after claims she was making a white power symbol. canonical: https://time.com/5386860/zina-gelman-bash-white-power-symbol/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-05T01:26:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T21:20:28.981Z article:section: Politics og:title: A Kavanaugh Supporter Was Accused of Making a White Power Symbol. She's a Descendant of Holocaust Survivors og:description: Zina Gelman Bash is a Mexican-American descendant of Holocaust survivors og:url: https://time.com/5386860/zina-gelman-bash-white-power-symbol/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf367d772e639ee21/6989395a97cdfff9d96b6248/kavanaugh-hearings.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6720 og:image:height: 3780 og:image:alt: Brett Kavanaugh og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Kavanaugh Supporter Was Accused of Making a White Power Symbol. She's a Descendant of Holocaust Survivors twitter:description: Zina Gelman Bash is a Mexican-American descendant of Holocaust survivors twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf367d772e639ee21/6989395a97cdfff9d96b6248/kavanaugh-hearings.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A Kavanaugh Supporter Was Accused of Making a White Power Symbol. She's a Descendant of Holocaust Survivors > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=03fca972-d820-4f50-b070-1e534786a6fe&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=03fca972-d820-4f50-b070-1e534786a6fe&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=03fca972-d820-4f50-b070-1e534786a6fe&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Sep 5, 2018 1:26 AM UTC  Circuit judge Brett Kavanaugh prepares to testify before his Senate confirmation hearing to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, on Sept. 4, 2018. Circuit judge Brett Kavanaugh prepares to testify before his Senate confirmation hearing to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, on Sept. 4, 2018. JIM LO SCALZO—EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Sep 5, 2018 1:26 AM UTC A former White House staffer was accused by some on Twitter of making a white supremacist symbol during [confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh](http://time.com/5386443/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-hearing-partisan-protest/) on Tuesday — causing her husband to publicly defend her and point out that she is Jewish, Mexican-American and the descendant of Holocaust survivors. The online furor about Zina Gelman Bash’s alleged hand symbol spread on Twitter Tuesday — despite attempts by supporters and journalists to point out her heritage. Bash, who previously clerked for Kavanaugh, was spotted sitting behind the Supreme Court nominee during the Senate hearing Tuesday making what appeared to be an “OK” sign with her hand, which some say is associated with [white power symbols](https://www.adl.org/blog/no-the-ok-gesture-is-not-a-hate-symbol). The [Anti-Defamation League](https://www.adl.org/blog/no-the-ok-gesture-is-not-a-hate-symbol) has said the “OK” hand gesture is not an actual symbol of white power. > [](https://twitter.com/rubin%5Fkd/status/1037033721235263488) > [](https://twitter.com/Amy%5FSiskind/status/1037055835728478213) The controversy led to Bash’s husband, U.S. Attorney John Bash, to take to Twitter to defend her. “Everyone tweeting this vicious conspiracy theory should be ashamed of themselves,” he wrote. > [](https://twitter.com/USAttyBash/status/1037091983532220416) > [](https://twitter.com/USAttyBash/status/1037093076638957568) > [](https://twitter.com/USAttyBash/status/1037094088615575555) > [](https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/1037062044732874753) Bash, who previously worked as Special Assistant to President Donald Trump on regulatory reform, legal and immigration policy, now serves as senior counsel to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5386860/zina-gelman-bash-white-power-symbol/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5386860/zina-gelman-bash-white-power-symbol/"},"headline":"A Kavanaugh Supporter Was Accused of Making a White Power Symbol. 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