In speech, Trump repeatedly insults Jewish Americans who back Democrats - The Washington Post
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Donald Trump also said that Israel "will no longer exist" if Vice President Kamala Harris is elected. She has frequently expressed solidarity with the country.
5 minRepublican presidential nominee Donald Trump addresses the Economic Club of New York on Thursday in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)By Patrick SvitekUpdated September 5, 2024 at 6:54 p.m. EDT|Published September 5, 2024 at 4:47 p.m. EDT
Former president Donald Trump, in a speech Thursday to Jewish Republicans, repeatedly denigrated Jewish Americans who vote for Democrats and warned, without evidence, that Israel "will no longer exist" if Vice President Kamala Harris becomes president.
Trump has long questioned how Jewish Americans could vote for Democrats, even as polls show they support the party by wide margins, and Trump's rhetoric toward the voting bloc is criticized as antisemitic.
"I don't understand how anybody can support them — and I say it constantly — if you had them to support and you were Jewish, you have to have your head examined," Trump told the Republican Jewish Coalition. "They've been very bad to you."
Trump addressed the group live via satellite as it held its annual leadership summit in Las Vegas, days after the bodies of six Israeli hostages — including Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin — were recovered in Gaza. The hostages were taken by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
Trump said Thursday that Harris and President Joe Biden have "sought to cast blame for these deaths on Israel," though both condemned Hamas in separate statements on the recovery of Goldberg-Polin's body. Neither statement criticized Israel. In discussing the matter, Trump initially appeared to misstate Goldberg-Polin's last name as "Goldman."
Biden's relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has grown strained during the war. The president said Monday he does not think Netanyahu is doing enough to strike a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.
Trump did not mention Netanyahu in his speech Thursday but claimed without evidence — as he has before — that the war would not have started if he were still president. He also again expressed some impatience with how long the war has taken. Discussing the war in April, Trump said he would tell Netanyahu to "get it over with" and "get back to normalcy."
"I will support Israel's right to win," Trump told the RJC. "It's a war on terror, and we will win fast. You have to win and you have to win fast."
The Harris campaign responded to Trump's speech by arguing he has not been as consistent of a supporter of Israel as he claims to be. The campaign noted, among other things, that Trump was reportedly angry at Netanyahu for congratulating Biden on his 2020 election victory over Trump, who continues to deny the result.
"Donald Trump has made it obvious he would turn on Israel in a moment if it suited his personal interests, and in fact he has done so in the past," Harris national security spokesperson Morgan Finkelstein said in a statement. "Meanwhile, the Vice President has been incredibly clear: She has been a lifelong supporter of the State of Israel as a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people."
Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, denounced Trump's repeated criticism of Jewish Americans who vote Democratic.
"This is antisemitism, plain and simple, and if any other elected official or candidate said these things even once — let alone on a nearly daily basis — they would be condemned as antisemitic," Soifer said in a statement.
Despite Trump's comments to the contrary, Harris has repeatedly expressed support for the existence of Israel and its right to defend itself, including during her Democratic National Convention speech last month. She has also spoken out against the human suffering in Gaza amid the Israel counteroffensive and emphasized the urgent need for a cease-fire deal.
"President Biden and I are working to end this war, such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination," Harris said in her DNC speech.
Trump, on Thursday, exaggerated what the implications would be if Harris wins in November.
"You're not going to have an Israel if she becomes president … Israel will no longer exist," he said.
Trump received an enthusiastic response Thursday as he addressed the RJC after being introduced by Miriam Adelson, the billionaire and Republican megadonor. She told the Jewish Republicans gathered in Las Vegas that Trump is "our best friend" and that she is "eagerly awaiting for him to enter the White House and to save the Jewish people."
Jewish voters continue to overwhelmingly favor Democrats, according to polling. The group supported Biden over Trump 70 percent to 27 percent in 2020, according to the Pew Research Center's validated voter survey.
Trump suggested Thursday, without evidence, that he was "probably around the 50 percent mark" with Jewish voters — and once more criticized Jewish Americans who do not support him.
"Who are the 50 percent of Jewish people that are voting for these people that hate Israel and don't like the Jewish people?" Trump asked, pushing false claims about voters who oppose him.
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Polls suggest three out of four American Jews support Harris - Walz!
Could be Jewish folk had their fill of right-wing authoritarians back in World War II. Trump does seem to channel Hitler quite often.
The Jewish people have a long, long, history of 'run-ins' with strong-men. . . starting in the Bible with Pharoah/s. It can be reasonably understood why they would have their 'fill' of them.
so let me get this staight. maga has allegedly transformed from "jews will not replace us" to the defenders of the religious radicals in the knesset, all while attempting to bring holocaust deniers back into the alt-right media and maga family?
Nailed It!
The democrat party has made it pretty clear that they do not support Israel in its conflict with Hamas and Hezbollah. The dems seemingly want Netanyahu and the Israelis to submit to the demands of the terrorists. Jews voting for Harris/Walz would not be voting in their best interests.
A few of them have and they hardly define the party as a whole. If I were to choose intellectual laziness:
The republican party has made it pretty clear that they do not support Ukraine in its conflict with Putin's Russia. The repubs seemingly want Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians to submit to the demands of the invaders. The over 1 million americans of Ukrainian descent voting for Trump/JD would not be voting in their best interests.
Just because one does not care for Netanyahu and many of his fascistic ways does not make one anti-Semitic.
This German/Irish guy lived with and loved two Jewish ladies in my time. Met their Jewish friends and families and earned the respect of one of their exes who was Masada.
Only fools like Trump think Jews are Jews and Arabs are Arabs and they all think alike.
Many "Jews" and "Arabs" are actually atheists as well.
Not all folk from ethnic groups have fallen for the god lie.
Much more often folk fight for regional and country allegiance.
That's totally false.
Many "Pro-palestinian" protestors demanded (among other things) that Harris would pledge to stop giving weapons to Israel. And I remember this quite clearly (actually I was a bit surprised how strong her statement was-- that the U.S. would not stop sending weapons to Israel-- the pro-Pali types demanding that could "fergeddaboudit".
Why?
Because in a sense there's two (very different) parts to the issue of sending weapons to Israel:
1, Many people feel we should stop sending them as a way of forcing netanyahu to agree to a cease fire-- and even withdraw troops from Gaza. So-- for some people-- that may be an argument for stopping military aid.
But OTOH:
2. Israel is one of the strongest players in our alliance to keeping Iran from getting too crazy. (Not only id Israel one of the strongest military forces in the world-- but they are strategically located vis-a-vis Iran. And that's a very strong argument for continuing aid.
Those who want to blackmail Israel by withholding weapons can go to hell with Hamas. If Harris were ever to do that she can go to hell as well. NEVER FORGET what General Alexander Haig said, that the safe existence of Israel is like America having its biggest aircraft carrier without requiring one American soldier on board in a most strategic Middle East location.
Trump is so smooth with words. /s
Definitely a role model-- especially for our kids!
/sarc
Anyone who believes that is who needs to have their head examined.
However, evidence suggests his level of support with Jewish voters is around 20%.
If he keeps it up his level of support with Jewish voters should end up at about 5%.
Its should be obvious-- but still bears repeating: she is just one person. If we looked we could find people with all sorts cock-a-mammy ideas-- in both parties!
Jews are bound to think and vote for liberal causes no matter what. And Jews will survive, no matter what, which should be obvious to all from historical fact. Am Yisroel Chai (Israel Lives).
Why can't some conservatives find a valuable member of the republican party who is not a dishonest liar? Why normalize Donald's perpetual lying?
Does "Jews for Trump" understand and accept that Trump has the support of White Supremacists of whom there is not love for Jews? The dissonance is astounding coming from Donald!
Though to be fair, I stare incredulously "into" my television set at Donald's rallies and see black men and women there. . .maybe even the occasional black youth and wonder: WTH?! (I simply don't know what is wrong with some of 'us who can support their own repression/suppression.)
In this generation, it all started with Fox and Murdoch's fascism.
Far right-wing fascism became the home of sub 100 IQs.
I'm not actually very smart. My IQ hovers around 158.
Used to take IQ tests for the fun of it. Don't anymore.
Well, disregarding IQ for a moment-- "this generation" dfepends on your age. Some older folks might say it started with McCarthy.
Interesting story (for readers of lower IQs, just skim a paragraph of two-- you don't have to read the whole thing!). A fascinating read-- excerpt posted here from the NT Dept of "Getting Smarter Here")
Background
McCarthy came to national prominence in February 1950 after giving a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, in which he claimed to have a list of 205 State Department employees who were members of the Communist Party. [ 1 ]
McCarthy claimed the list was provided to but dismissed by Secretary of State Dean Acheson, saying that the "State Department harbors a nest of Communists and Communist sympathizers who are helping to shape our foreign policy"
(Cont'd on the linked page).
Interesting how what America has been doing for decades now could be considered communism.
Cops and Firemen are just two examples,
Have you ever heard of The Lincoln Project?
The Lincoln Project is an American political action committee (PAC) founded in December 2019 by moderate conservatives and former Republican Party members who oppose U.S. President Donald Trump and Trumpism . During the 2020 presidential election , it aimed to prevent the re-election of President Trump, and to defeat incumbent Republican candidates running for re-election who had been loyalists to Trump. In April 2020, the committee endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden . Since 2022, the committee has focused on preventing the re-election of Trump in the 2024 presidential election , endorsing Democratic nominee Kamala Harris . [ 3 ]
IMO this is one of their best ones (its a few years old-- but still relevant):
FELLOW TRAVELER
Pretty sure that there is no longer an honest republican.
Far right-wing fascism has destroyed the GOP.
It is wrongheaded and dishonest to still equate Middle Eastern peace advocates with being Pro-Hamas. The million Jewish peace protesters in Jerusalem are not Pro-Hamas. The thousands of Jews in New York protesting for peace in Gaza are not antisemities. So, just quit it...
Exactly, they only demand that Israel negotiate and trust Hamas.