Trump focuses on Jewish voters in Pennsylvania, warns of Israel’s future under Harris
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after Trump's address at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem May 23, 2017. (Reuters Photo)
Former US President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, warned on Thursday that Jewish-American voters in key battleground states like Pennsylvania could be partly to blame if he loses the upcoming Nov. 5 election to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee. Speaking at the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington, Trump expressed concerns about his standing among Jewish voters and the potential impact on U.S.-Israel relations.
“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 told the crowd, referencing a poll that reportedly shows Harris polling at 60% among Jewish voters.
Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state, could be pivotal in determining the outcome of the election. Home to over 400,000 Jewish residents, Pennsylvania was instrumental in President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020, with Biden winning the state by a margin of 81,000 votes. Trump’s campaign has made it a priority to win over Jewish voters in Pennsylvania and other key states.
Jewish-Americans have traditionally leaned toward the Democratic Party, but Trump is hoping to shift that balance with his pro-Israel policies and strong stance on Middle Eastern diplomacy. His administration’s decision to relocate the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, among other moves, was aimed at solidifying support within the Jewish community. However, despite these efforts, Trump garnered less than 30% of the Jewish-American vote in both 2016 and 2020.
Trump’s remarks in Pennsylvania and other battleground states reflect the campaign’s strategy of focusing on small but significant demographic groups that could sway the election in a tight race. Even a slight shift in Jewish voter turnout in Pennsylvania could alter the state’s outcome, which holds 19 electoral votes.
The comments from Trump drew backlash, with Jonathan Greenblatt, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, criticizing the former president for placing blame on Jewish voters. “Preemptively blaming American Jews for your potential election loss does zero to help American Jews,” Greenblatt stated.
Morgan Finkelstein, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, also condemned Trump’s rhetoric, emphasizing unity across all faiths and ethnicities in the election. “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.
