During remarks at the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington on Thursday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested that Jewish-American voters would share the blame if he loses the November 5 election to Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump expressed concern over his polling numbers among American Jews, claiming that their support for Democrats could jeopardise Israel’s existence.
“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 stated.
He referenced a poll indicating that Harris is polling at 60% among Jewish voters, expressing disappointment over his own performance, having received less than 30% of their vote in the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Although Trump did not specify the poll he was citing, a recent Pew Research Survey indicated that American Jews favour Harris over Trump, 65% to 34%. Trump’s comments echoed sentiments made at another summit earlier that evening, focused on combating antisemitism in the U.S.
The Trump campaign has prioritised winning over Jewish voters in key battleground states, recognising the potential impact of even a small shift in their support. For instance, in Pennsylvania, where over 400,000 Jewish individuals reside, Joe Biden won the state by a narrow margin of 81,000 votes in 2020.
In response to Trump’s remarks, Morgan Finkelstein, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign, criticised him for his associations with individuals accused of antisemitism, a charge Trump has consistently denied, citing his Jewish son-in-law during his speeches.
Additionally, Trump did not address a CNN report released earlier that day regarding North Carolina’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson, who allegedly made inflammatory comments about race and slavery.
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