WASHINGTON — In remarks ostensibly aimed at combating anti-Semitism, former President Donald Trump asked why he was deprived of command. support of Jewish voters and suggested that his campaign “will have a lot of work to do” with a loss in November if support does not increase.
“I’m not going to call it a prediction, but in my opinion, if I’m at 40%, the Jewish people will have a lot to do with the loss,” Trump said during the “Fighting Anti-Semitism in Azerbaijan” campaign. America,” citing an unnamed poll that found two-fifths of Jewish voters supported him.
Trump spent much of his speech telling the audience what his administration is doing on behalf of Israelis, including recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, withdrawing the US from the Iran nuclear deal and moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
He said that despite these milestones, which he mentioned on behalf of the Jewish people, he did not see an increase in the support of Jewish voters. Trump later said he was “not treated right” by Jewish voters and lamented that despite being “the most popular person in Israel,” their support “doesn’t translate” in the United States.
“You can’t let that happen. Forty percent is unacceptable because we have an election to win,” Trump said, blaming the lack of support for what he described as the “curse or curse of the Democrats” on Jewish voters.
During his speeches, he also directly appealed to Jewish voters and voiced criticism of Israel’s handling of the war with Hamas in the college protest movement.
“The first week I’m back in the Oval Office, my administration will inform every college president that they will lose accreditation and federal tax credit support if you don’t end anti-Semitic propaganda,” he said.
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on the former president’s remarks.
At a separate event in the capital on Thursday evening, he shared a similar warning to Jewish voters to support them in the election.
“If I don’t win this election – and I do, the Jewish people will really have a lot to do with it, because at 40%, that’s 60% of the people voting for the enemy – Israel. the idea will cease to exist in two years,” Trump said at the second event, the Israel-American Council National Summit.
Like Trump continues to sue Jewish voters ahead of November’s general electionhe Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. and continued to publicly insult high-profile Jewish leaders such as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
In a statement Thursday evening, Trump called Schumer “like a Palestinian” and wrote on the social media site Truth Social last month. described Shapiro as “a highly regarded Jewish governor”.
Trump’s out-of-office but campaign appeals to Jewish voters included extensive publicity and praise for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including hosting him at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. july
Trump’s comments Thursday reflect his years of frustration with Jewish voters. lack of support for him (they historically lean Democratic(according to the Pew Research Center.) As president, he says the Jewish people who vote Democratic are either “completely ignorant or deeply disloyal,” and with two weeks to go before the 2022 midterm elections, wrote on the social network: “US Jews must act together and appreciate what they have in Israel – Before it’s too late!”
Jake Traylor contributed.