Now, right in the middle of the 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump has been continuously making comments about Jewish voters and their apparent leanings at the ballot box. He recently even warned that “if I lose on November 5th,” it may be ruin for Jewish Americans, suggesting that “Democrats are mean to Israel, very mean.” Since then, a storm of controversy has swirled around Trump because of his apparent misunderstanding of who and what a Jew is, coupled with party loyalty.
Context of Trump’s comments
Trump made the comments against a backdrop of rising tensions over U.S. support for Israel, highlighted by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. He was speaking to Jewish voters who back the Democratic Party, implying that such political decisions were not in line with loyalty to Israel and their faith. This feeds into long-standing antisemitic tropes of dual loyalty, which is to say being regarded as not fully committed to one’s home country if one is not in full support of given political causes regarding Israel.
Traditionally, the overwhelming majority of American Jews have identified with the Democratic Party, although recent polls put the number at roughly 70% identifying as Democrats or leaning Democratic. This constituency has grown more vocal about their unease with the growing tide of antisemitism and what many believe to be the consequences of US foreign policy regarding Israel from successive administrations. Trump’s remarks seem to be an attempt to peel off this key demographic by painting the Democratic Party as opposed to the interests of Israel.
Reactions from Jewish leaders
The comments by Trump have been received with much criticism by several Jewish leaders and organizations. According to many, the rhetoric is harmful and divisive; he was perpetuating stereotypes about Jewish Americans and their political motives. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, spoke of those kinds of comments as dangerous and perpetuating a political atmosphere that was toxic.
Following Trump’s comments, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, in his denunciation of Netanyahu over how he has confronted the conflict in Gaza, promptly accused him of engaging in “highly partisan and hateful rants.” Schumer underlined that making Israel a partisan issue undermines bipartisan support essential for its security.
Experts on antisemitism also have warned that such rhetoric by Trump risks fanning the flames of hatred against Jews, suggesting they are to blame should he lose. Jeffrey Herf, an expert on antisemitism at the University of Maryland, said that in the event Trump lost his remarks could translate into blaming Jews for his defeat and with more antisemitic narratives digging deeper.
The political landscape
This seems to be an approach as if it were a calculated effort to get that Jewish vote which may feel alienated by Democratic policies or for whom strong support for Israel supersedes any other issue. The Republican Party has been working in terms of rebranding for Jewish Americans, especially among Orthodox communities that have closer sympathies with the ideals represented by conservative values.
This has not, however, placated the wariness of many Jewish voters who sense that Trump’s apparently antisemitic utterances and actions speak louder than any presumptive strategy. For example, when he has sought to claim that Democrats who are Jewish “hate Israel” and “their religion,” his publicly made comments belie his scripted remarks, as usual, thus alienating potential supporters who could have considered him.
In the case of Jewish voters, the polling shows a more nuanced picture of Trump. Although there is some evidence that his standing has marginally improved among some groups, overall attitudes toward him are undeniably unfavorable. Fully, many Jewish Americans still perceive Trump’s rhetoric as hurtful to their community and U.S.-Israel relations.
