On the October 11 broadcast of Steve Malzberg's WOR (New York) radio show, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter stood by her recent comment -- documented by Media Matters for America -- that “we” Christians “just want Jews to be perfected.” She made that statement on the October 8 edition of CNBC's The Big Idea, during which host Donny Deutsch later said, “I'm offended by that personally.” On Malzberg's show, Coulter defended her remarks by saying that she had “stated the ... doctrine of Christianity,” and that the idea that Christians “want Jews to be perfected” “comes from that raging anti-Semite St. Paul.” She added: “I don't think most Jews are as stupid as Donny Deutsch,” and later asked, referring to Deutsch, “Is that guy even bar mitzvahed?”

During the October 8 Big Idea, Deutsch asked Coulter: “If you had your way ... and your dreams, which are genuine, came true ... what would this country look like?” Coulter responded, “It would look like New York City during the [2004] Republican National Convention. In fact, that's what I think heaven is going to look like.” She then described the convention: “People were happy. They're Christian. They're tolerant. They defend America.” Deutsch then asked, “It would be better if we were all Christian?” Coulter replied, “Yes,” later adding, "[W]e just want Jews to be perfected, as they say."

Discussing those comments on The Steve Malzberg Show, Coulter, after asserting she had stated the “doctrine of Christianity,” said, “Apparently, as we're always told in church, but you don't always ... see it, Christianity is a radical and offensive doctrine. But I think -- we'll see. I don't think most Jews are as stupid as Donny Deutsch.” When Malzberg read her a Fox News headline of a story on the controversy, “Columnist Ann Coulter shocks cable TV show declaring ... Jews need to be perfected by becoming Christians,” Coulter responded, “Right. That comes from that raging anti-Semite St. Paul.”

Coulter later said: “People who have no knowledge of religion should not, for one thing, probably talk about it, but should certainly not go around getting their noses out of joint about it. But if anybody's going to be offended by anyone's religion -- we believe their religion. They don't believe ours.”

Malzberg, who replied that he is Jewish, then said, "[S]o, I just want to make it clear for people out there that you're not telling Jews, 'Jews, you need to convert to Christianity,' are you?" Coulter replied, “Well, all Christians would want -- of course, a Christian would like everybody to become a Christian. I'm not going to slit your throat over it.” Later on the program, when Malzberg asked, “And you have no problems with Jewish people,” Coulter replied, “I'm a Christian,” then said, “Well, I apparently now have a problem with one Jewish person, Donny Deutsch. Is that guy even bar mitzvahed?”

From the October 11 broadcast of WOR Radio Network's The Steve Malzberg Show:

MALZBERG: All right, there's lots going on. Again, you said something -- you appeared on the Donny Deutsch show -- in the last hour, I tried to explain who Donny Deutsch was. He has a show on CNBC -- nobody watches it. It gets probably the lowest ratings since the John McEnroe show, but yet because he's a rich advertising magnate, I guess, you know, they manage to keep him on somehow. Maybe he finds advertising, or he puts it on. But, nonetheless, you were on, last night, I guess?

COULTER: No. It was --

MALZBERG: You taped it today?

COULTER: Last week.

MALZBERG: Oh, last week! OK, see it took a week for them to see -- for anybody to see this. And you made some comments about that the country --

COULTER: Christianity. I stated the --

MALZBERG: Yes, the country would be --

COULTER: -- doctrine of Christianity.

MALZBERG: Yes.

COULTER: Apparently, as we're always told in church, but you don't always -- you don't always see it, Christianity is a radical and offensive doctrine. But I think -- we'll see. I don't think most Jews are as stupid as Donny Deutsch.

MALZBERG: Well, let me just say what they -- what Fox News' headline is: “Columnist Ann Coulter shocks cable TV show declaring” -- by going on it maybe --

COULTER: Right.

MALZBERG: -- “declaring Jews need to be perfected by becoming Christians.”

COULTER: Right. That comes from that raging anti-Semite St. Paul.

MALZBERG: So, but what --

COULTER: This is a straight statement of Christian doctrine. You can look it up. One of my friends just emailed me from the Oxford University definition -- it's on [the blog] Sweetness and Light -- this is what Christians believe. We believe the Old Testament, and we think the New Testament completes that. I mean, the Old Testament is obviously anticipating some Christ coming. Jews say, “Not that Christ” --

MALZBERG: The Messiah.

COULTER: -- “you got the wrong one.”

MALZBERG: Not -- Right, right.

COULTER: Yeah, we worship -- our savior is a Jew. They say our savior was a raving lunatic, but I was just saying that the New -- we consider, when Jews become Christians, that is becoming a perfected Jew. And that is precisely the theological term.

People who have no knowledge of religion should not, for one thing, probably talk about it, but should certainly not go around getting their noses out of joint about it. But if anybody's going to be offended by anyone's religion -- we believe their religion. They don't believe ours.

MALZBERG: Well, and I'm Jewish. So, I mean -- so, I just want to make it clear for people out there that you're not telling Jews, “Jews, you need to convert to Christianity,” are you?

COULTER: Well, all Christians would want -- of course, a Christian would like everybody to become a Christian. I'm not going to slit your throat over it.

MALZBERG: Well, that's another story, yes.

COULTER: This is part of -- of course a Christian would want all -- everyone to become a Christian.

MALZBERG: Well, not all Christians. I mean, I --

COULTER: Well, there are Gentiles and there are Christians.

MALZBERG: OK. All right. So, is what you're doing is stating what you feel is the literal doctrine of the religion.

COULTER: Yes, and moreover, I mean, as I pointed out, since we believe the Old Testament --

MALZBERG: Right.

COULTER: -- [Rev. Jerry] Falwell himself has said this -- that we believe that Jews can go to heaven by following the Old Testament. It's a much harder road to hoe: The Old Testament is the God of laws. There are laws that have to be followed.

MALZBERG: Well, see that's the problem. That's why a lot of Jews don't want or welcome evangelical support, those who support Israel -- the Christians who support Israel -- because they say, “Well, they want Israel to exist just until Jesus comes back in their view, and then all the Jews are going to be killed if they don't convert to Christianity. We don't need friends like that.” And I say, if you're Israel and Jews, you can't pick your friends. I mean, just accept the support for the country and for your religion and just let the chips fall where they may afterwards.

COULTER: Right, and if I could just straighten something out --

MALZBERG: Yeah.

COULTER: -- on the Armageddon thing.

MALZBERG: Yeah.

COULTER: It's not -- although, I'm constantly having non-Christians tell me that Christians support Israel because we're looking forward to Armageddon. Nobody wants to live through that. That would be a horrible thing to wish for. It's going to be an ugly time.

The reason, at least as far as I understand it, Christians support Israel, is because Jews are the chosen people, because this is in the Bible --

MALZBERG: Right.

COULTER: -- that Israel will always exist. I mean, you go back to the Old Testament, read about all these tribes, they don't exist anymore. It is proof that the Bible -- it is one of many, many, many, many proofs that the Bible is true, that Israel still exists.

MALZBERG: And you have no problems with Jewish people.

COULTER: Of --

MALZBERG: I'm just asking you that so you can --

COULTER: I'm a Christian.

MALZBERG: I understand that.

COULTER: Well, I apparently now have a problem with one Jewish person, Donny Deutsch. Is that guy even bar mitzvahed?

MALZBERG: I don't know. We're talking to, of course, Ann Coulter, on The Steve Malzberg Show.