At an anti-semitism event, Trump suggests that Jewish voters might hold some responsibility if he fails to win in November.
"I'm not going to label this as a forecast, but in my perspective, the Jewish community might experience significant losses if I'm at 40% support in the polls, Trump stated at a Republican gathering in Washington to combat antisemitism. "If I'm at 40%, that implies 60% are voting for Harris, who particularly isn't a great Democrat. The Democrats aren't good for Israel, very bad."
Trump failed to mention which poll he was referring to.
Trump often wonders why Jewish Americans would consider voting for his opponent, repeatedly stating that Jewish Democratic voters "need mental health evaluations."
At an audience on Thursday that included GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson, who introduced him onstage, Trump labeled the upcoming US election as "the most crucial" in Israel's history, claiming that Israel would be "eliminated," "erased from existence," and "cease to be" if Harris wins the presidency. However, the former president seemed preoccupied with what he described as ingratitude from Jewish voters, whom he believed should be supporting him in larger numbers due to his record on Israel.
"A poll just surfaced. I'm at 40%," Trump said, once again without naming the survey. "That signifies 60% voting for someone who despises Israel. And I say it, it's going to happen. It's only because of the Democratic grip or curse on you. You can't let this occur. Forty percent is not acceptable, because we have an election to win."
After asking Harris to "officially renounce the backing of all Hamas sympathizers, antisemites, Israel haters on college campuses and everywhere else," Trump again shifted his focus to Jewish voters.
"Sadly, and I must say this, and it hurts me to say it, you're going to still vote for Democrats, and it doesn't make sense," the former president said. "I say all the time that any Jewish person that votes for her, especially now, her or the Democratic Party, needs a mental health check."
Harris has never claimed support from any of the groups Trump mentioned. She has, in fact, faced scrutiny from some progressive Democrats and younger liberals, many of them Jewish, for her refusal to consider a pause in US arms shipments to Israel, as many pro-Palestinian groups are demanding, in the midst of Israel's war in Gaza. Earlier Thursday, the “Uncommitted” movement, which emerged during the Democratic primaries in opposition to the Biden administration's policy in Israel and Gaza, stated it would not endorse Harris after her campaign again rebuffed activists pushing for a halt to US military aid to Israel and an immediate ceasefire.
Harris's husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, is Jewish and has been a vocal critic of antisemitism, especially during protests in the US against Israel's actions in Gaza. Despite this, Trump has repeatedly labeled his opponent as "anti-Israel" and "anti-Jewish."
"You have to defeat Kamala Harris more than any other individuals on earth," Trump said, addressing the Jewish voters in the audience. "Israel, I believe, has to defeat her. You understand that? And I've never said this before: More than any individuals on earth, Israel has to defeat her."
He then promised to "make Israel great again."
Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and a former aide to Democratic officials in New York, accused Trump of using "a speech about antisemitism as an opportunity to embrace antisemitic tropes and attack the American Jewish community."
"Treating Jews and Israel as political targets makes Jews, Israel, and all of us less secure. Dividing Jews into 'good' and 'bad' camps and engaging in dual loyalty tropes further normalizes antisemitism," Spitalnick added. "This is not partisan politics – it's about the fundamental safety of the Jewish community."
In a interview in March, Trump said that any Jewish person who votes for Democrats "hates their religion" and hates "everything about Israel," once again promoting an antisemitic trope that Jewish Americans have dual loyalties towards the US and Israel.
He made similar statements during his first two presidential campaigns.
"You're not going to support me because I don't want your money. You want to control your politicians, that's fine," Trump said at the Republican Jewish Coalition in December 2015. "I'm a negotiator like you folks, we are negotiators."
But Trump's open frustration with Jewish voters became a more regular theme in the aftermath of his 2020 election defeat.
"Jewish people living in the United States don't love Israel enough. Does that make sense to you?" he told an Orthodox Jewish outlet in 2021.
In a social media post in 2022, the former president – using an argument he alluded to Thursday – complained that "wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of (his Israel record) than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S."
"U.S. Jews have to get their act together," he wrote, "and appreciate what they have in Israel – Before it is too late!"
In July, Harris declared her "unshakable loyalty to Israel" after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.
Following pro-Hamas protests surrounding the Israeli leader's visit, Harris said in a statement, "I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has pledged to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews."
Trump's criticism of Jewish voters extends beyond just Harris, as he stated, "You're not going to support me because I don't want your money. You want to control your politicians, that's fine," implying a belief that Jewish Americans have too much influence in politics.
In his attempts to gain support from Jewish Americans, Trump frequently makes accusations, such as claiming that any Jewish person who votes for Democrats "hates their religion" and hates "everything about Israel."
