Former President Donald Trump thinks he knows us. But despite his nearly lifelong exposure to Jews, and even having family members who are Jewish, he still seems to understand Jewish people based upon hackneyed, antisemitic stereotypes. That’s just plain insulting and demeaning. And we’ve had enough.
Trump’s understanding of the Jewish community — as reflected in multiple speeches, pronouncements and interviews — appears to be one-dimensional. He views Jews through the lens of the antisemitic trope that Jewish Americans have dual loyalties to the U.S. and Israel. And, from Trump’s perspective, decisions by Jewish voters are driven primarily by a concern for Israel, without regard to much else.
Based upon that premise, Trump is frustrated. He has convinced himself that he was the best American president Israel ever had. Which, to his thinking, should have resulted in overwhelming re-election support for him from Jewish voters in the 2020 election.
In Trump’s view, the fact that most Jewish voters didn’t vote for him reflects the community’s lack of appreciation for his historic support of Israel. According to Trump, “No President has done more for Israel than I have. Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S.” He warned American Jews to “get their act together” to show appreciation for Israel “before it is too late.” That observation and warning was later followed by a Trump post on Truth Social that liberal Jews who didn’t support him “voted
to destroy America & Israel.”
More recently, we have been told by Trump that “any Jewish person that votes for Biden does not love Israel and frankly, should be spoken to.” And in an airport interview in Atlanta on April 10, he added that “any Jewish person who votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined.” He accused President Joe Biden of being “totally on the side of the Palestinians” in the Hamas war in Gaza. And his campaign has asserted that the Democratic Party “has turned into a full-blown anti-Israel, antisemitic, pro-terrorist cabal.”
Trump’s history of voter support within the Jewish community is not impressive. In both his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton and his 2020 loss to Biden, Trump received less than 25% of the Jewish vote. In poll after poll, Jewish voters made clear that the issues driving their election decisions focused on more than just Israel and taxes, and included abortion, immigration, gun control, health care and Supreme Court nominations, among other things. Most Jewish voters simply don’t agree with Trump on those issues.
But from Trump’s perspective, the explanation of why he can’t attract Jewish votes goes beyond the crass stereotypes and tropes of wealth, power, status and blind allegiance to Israel. He’s got a new one. During a recent interview with “Real America’s Voice,” Trump declared that his problem is that: “Jewish people, by habit, they vote for the Democrat, and Black people by habit vote for the Democrats.”
So now, according to Trump, we need to kick the habit, show appreciation, get our act together and save America. We got it.
I don’t believe Jews have dual loyalties, nor am I convinced that Donald Trump believes that either. I do think that Joe Biden is opening space between America and Israel to the point that I’m no longer 100% sure that this country will continue to come to Israel’s aid when its survival is at stake,
Refusing to cancel a U.N. resolution demanding Israel leave Gaza without first releasing the hostages, sending Charles Schumer out to remove Netanyahu along with several statements from Biden which left huge doubts about which side he supports, have taken it’s toll on me and shaken my belief in not only him but also his party.
While its true that Jews vote on more than one issue, I think that the coordinated attack on Jewish students here and calls for the death of Jews worldwide smacks of Iranian influence everywhere.
Biden’s silence on these outrageous demands suggests to me that his political desires outweigh his moral judgement.
Every statement that the Exponent’s editorial disagrees with is not an antisemitic trope just as every sporadic statement that Joe Biden makes supporting Israel, mixed in with several anti-Israeli statements demonstrates his support for the Jewish state.
What I think that what your editorial shows is that blind obedience to the Democratic party and it’s president shows you really don’t get it. Praise both sides when they’re right and attack both sides when they’re wrong.
So whom is better for Israel? Biden who finances Hamas through his failure to enforce sanctions on Iranian oil sales (and more) and sides with and encourages Hamas, or Trump: embassy in Jerusalem, Abraham Accords, no billions to Iran, recognizes Golan heights as Israeli, $30 barrel of oil (versus $100 under Biden), strong anti terror posture versus “don’t”. Everything he said about you liberal Jews is correct. Take your blinders off.