Trump says Jewish voters will bear 'a lot' of blame if he loses during 'fighting antisemitism' event
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Sept. 20, 2024, 3:21 AM UTCBy Alec Hernandez, Vaughn Hillyard and Isabelle Schmeler
WASHINGTON — In remarks ostensibly focused on combating antisemitism, former President Donald Trump questioned why he lacks commanding support from Jewish voters and suggested that they would have "a lot to do" with a loss in November if their support for his campaign does not grow.
"I'm not going to call this a prediction, but, in my opinion, the Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss if I'm at 40%," Trump said during a campaign event titled "Fighting Antisemitism in America," citing an unnamed poll that he said showed him with two-fifths of Jewish voters' support.
Trump spent a significant part of his remarks recounting to the audience what his administration accomplished on behalf of the Israelis — including recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, withdrawing the U.S. from the Iranian nuclear deal and moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
He bemoaned that, despite those milestones, which he framed as being on behalf of the Jewish people, he had not seen an increase in support from Jewish voters. Trump went on to say he has not been "treated right" by Jewish voters and, despite being the "most popular person in Israel," lamented that their support "doesn't translate" in the U.S.
"You can't let this happen. Forty percent is not acceptable, because we have an election to win," Trump said, blaming the lack of support on what he described as "the Democrat hold or curse" on Jewish voters.
During his remarks, he also made a direct appeal to Jewish voters and lobbed criticism at the college protest movement against Israel's handling of its war with Hamas.
"My first week back in the Oval Office, my administration will inform every college president that if you do not end antisemitic propaganda, they will lose their accreditation and federal tax credit support," he said.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on the former president's remarks.
At a separate event in the capital on Thursday evening, he shared a similar warning with Jewish voters about the stakes of their support in the election.
"If I don't win this election — and the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that if that happens, because, at 40%, that means 60% of the people are voting for the enemy — Israel, in my opinion, will cease to exist within two years," Trump said at the second event, the Israeli-American Council National Summit.
As Trump continues to court Jewish voters ahead of the November general election, he has continued to publicly assail high-profile Jewish leaders like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
As he did in his remarks Thursday evening, Trump has described Schumer as being "like a Palestinian," and in a post on his social media site, Truth Social, last month, described Shapiro as a "highly overrated Jewish governor."
With Trump out of office but revving on the campaign trail, his outward appeal to Jewish voters has also involved extensive outreach to — and praise for — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including hosting him at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in late July.
Trump's comments Thursday echo his years of frustration at Jewish voters' lack of support for him (they historically lean Democratic, according to the Pew Research Center.) As president, he that Jewish people who vote Democratic show "either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty," and two weeks before the 2022 midterms, he posted on social media: "U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel — Before it is too late!"
Alec Hernandez
Alec Hernandez is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.
Vaughn Hillyard
Vaughn Hillyard is a correspondent for NBC News.
Isabelle Schmeler
Isabelle Schmeler is a researcher on the 2024 politics desk.
Jake Traylor contributed.
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Trump is already blaming Jews for losing, again!
as his campaign loses momentum, he's telegraphing to his cult which groups need to be harassed after he loses...
From any river to either ocean.
Jews have already faced vastly increased antisemitism, college students attacked and harassed, due to what is happening in the Israel-Gaza conflict for which the American Jews have no responsibility, so Trump has now poured gasoline on the fire to make it more extreme. Obviously endangering the Haitians isn't enough for him, now he's increased endangering the Jews. Judging from Jan 6, it doesn't take much for the violence to build when the boss messages his minions.
And yet American Jews vote overwhelmingly for Democrats for obvious reasons, primary among them that MAGA aligns with fascists!
In addition to trying to make American Jews feel bad because they hate him, he also said yesterday that if elected he will impose a new travel ban, preventing people from "infested countries" from around the world from entering the United States.
So he's covering all his base(s).
Which is illegal and probably unconstitutional.
Supreme Court Upholds Trump's Travel Ban : NPR
There are no guarantees a new ban would pass judicial review after Trump has admitted it's a political issue.
Their opinion doesn't matter, only the 5, who ruled it is constitutional and part of his authority, so yes he will be able to implement it. and their are now 6 staunch conservatives to it will be constitutional.
They dressed up the ban in your link as a national security issue - which is what the SCOTUS ruled on, again, per your link. Now that Trump has announced his issue is political he may not get away with it.
It's looking more and more like Trump won't get the chance anyway as Harris continues to improve in most swing state polls.
And in my link the ACLU argued it was political because trump talked about banning Muslims in speeches when he was running, and that doesn't change that fact that he has the authority to implement it. PERIOD. They supreme court isn't going to reverse itself after only a few years.
Not a national security issue, just detrimental which is a broad term.
With his latest bluster banning Jews/Israelis would be in order.
But what to do with the US Jws, deport them, that the ticket. Oh wait, the evangelicals will be upset.
Maybe god/yahweh will intervene. Don’t hold your breath though.
yeah like that'll happen, but seeing the scorched spots of former hypocrites on the ground would be amusing ... /s