According to Donald Trump’s campaign schedule, he was slated to give a speech on antisemitism on Thursday, in Washington, D.C. The schedule was almost right. Because what Trump delivered were instead two speeches packed with antisemitism, including a warning that he would hold Jewish voters liable if he failed to win in November.
“The Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss,” Trump said at a small event titled “Fighting Antisemitism in America” and hosted by Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson. “It’s only because of the Democrat hold, or curse, on you.”
“With all I have done for Israel, I received only 24% of the Jewish vote,” Trump whined. “I really haven’t been treated very well, but it’s the story of my life.”
Trump repeatedly made similar statements, blaming Jewish voters for his loss in 2020 and warning that he would hold them responsible if he loses in November, both at the Adelson event and at a later appearance at the Israeli American Council’s national summit. He also repeatedly claimed that without him, Israel would be destroyed.
“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.
Throughout much of the second event, Trump seemed unable to distinguish between the Israeli government and Jewish Americans. “I was there four years, gave them billions and billions of dollars. I was the best friend Israel ever had, and still in 2020, now, I’ve done all these things, so now, Jewish people have no excuse.”
The “40%” came up several times as Trump referenced an unnamed poll he claimed showed he had the support of 40% of Jewish voters, which would be nearly twice the 24% of the Jewish American vote he received in 2020. However, in a survey earlier this month, Jewish voters favored Kamala Harris 68% to 25%—essentially unchanged from the support Biden received in 2020.
“I’m the one that’s protecting you,” Trump told the Israeli American group, going on to say that Democrats “are the people that are going to destroy you” and that Harris “hates Israel.”
In addition to warning that he would blame Jewish voters for a loss and that Israel would rapidly disappear without him, Trump said that in the past, “if you said something about a Jewish person or something about Israel that was bad, you were out of politics.”
That hasn’t stopped Trump from describing Sen. Chuck Schumer as “a proud member of Hamas” or calling Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro a “highly overrated Jewish Governor.”
He also did not mention Republican North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, whose recently uncovered statements included praise for Hitler and vile levels of antisemitism.
This is far from the first time that Trump has insisted that Jewish voters owe him their votes and displayed anger that he wasn’t getting more of their support. In a March interview, Trump insisted that Jewish Americans who vote for Democrats “hate Israel” and hate “their religion.”
“I actually think they hate Israel,” Trump said. “I think they hate Israel. And the Democrat party hates Israel.”
In a radio appearance on “Sid & Friends in the Morning” in July, Trump called Jewish voters who voted for Democrats “fools.”
“If you love Israel or if you’re Jewish … if you vote for a Democrat, you’re a fool, an absolute fool,” Trump said.
In that interview, Trump also agreed with host Sid Rosenberg’s comment that second gentleman Douglas Emhoff is “a crappy Jew” and said, “It’s almost like Schumer has become a Palestinian.”
His messaging to Jews has been very different than those addressed to Christians, who he said only need to vote in this election and then no longer need to be politically engaged. At Turning Point Action’s Believer’s Summit in July he stated, “You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians,” he said.
There has been a rising tide of antisemitism in the United States. But warning Jewish voters that they will be held responsible if Trump doesn’t win isn’t fighting antisemitism. It’s just spreading it.
