New York, September 29, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)
Donald Trump Suggests Jewish Voters Could Be Partly to Blame if He Loses 2024 Election to Kamala Harris
On Thursday, former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made controversial remarks suggesting that Jewish-American voters would be partly responsible if he loses the upcoming November 5, 2024 election to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate.
Trump’s comments came during a speech at the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington, where he expressed concerns over his trailing popularity among Jewish voters.
Trump warned that if Harris were to win the election, it could lead to serious consequences for Israel, going so far as to claim that the country could “cease to exist within two years.” He argued that Jewish-Americans, who traditionally tend to vote for Democrats, would be partly to blame for this potential outcome.
“If I don’t win this election – and the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that if that happens, because if 40%, I mean, 60% of the people are voting for the enemy – Israel, in my opinion, will cease to exist within two years,” Trump said during his speech.
He was referring to a poll that he claimed showed Harris polling at 60% among American Jewish voters. Trump also reflected on his past performances in the 2016 and 2020 elections, where he garnered less than 30% of the Jewish vote. In 2016, he won the election, but in 2020, he lost to Democratic President Joe Biden.
While Trump did not specify the source of the poll he referenced, a recent Pew Research Survey indicated that Harris leads Trump by 65% to 34% among Jewish voters.
A Divisive Strategy to Win Jewish Voters in Battleground States
Trump’s campaign has made a point of trying to win over Jewish voters, particularly in key battleground states. Historically, Jewish-Americans have leaned heavily toward the Democratic Party in federal elections, but a slight shift in the Jewish vote could prove decisive in November. For example, in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, over 400,000 Jewish people reside, a state Biden won by just 81,000 votes in 2020.
Despite this strategy, Trump’s remarks were met with backlash from several Jewish organizations and individuals. Jonathan Greenblatt, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, criticized Trump’s comments, stating, “Preemptively blaming American Jews for your potential election loss does zero to help American Jews.”
Trump’s History with Jewish Voters and Criticisms from the Harris Campaign
Morgan Finkelstein, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, also condemned Trump, noting his previous associations with figures who have been accused of anti-Semitism. “When Donald Trump loses this election, it will be because Americans from all faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds came together to turn the page on the divisiveness he demonstrates every day,” Finkelstein said in a statement.
Trump, however, has consistently denied accusations of anti-Semitism, often pointing to his Jewish son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his pro-Israel policies during his presidency as evidence of his support for the Jewish community.
During his speeches on Thursday, Trump did not address a separate report published earlier by CNN. The report involved Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson from North Carolina, who had allegedly called himself a “black NAZI” on a pornography website and reportedly advocated for the return of slavery.
Trump’s Remarks Stir Controversy
Trump’s remarks about Jewish voters have stirred controversy as he ramps up his campaign for the 2024 presidential election. With Jewish-Americans traditionally leaning toward Democrats, Trump’s strategy seems aimed at shifting just enough votes in key states to swing the election in his favor. However, his divisive comments have sparked criticism and raised questions about how effective this approach will be in the coming months.
