Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin has raised concerns about comments made by former President Donald Trump, who suggested that Jewish voters might be to blame if he loses to Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election. This statement was made during Trump’s keynote address at the Israeli American Council (IAC) summit, sparking significant criticism from various quarters, including Raskin himself, who is the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.
During the summit, Trump expressed his grievances about how he felt Jewish voters treated him in the last two elections, saying, “If I don’t win this election, the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that.”
Attorney Andrew Weinstein characterized Trump’s remarks as “vile” and called for a collective condemnation, labeling them as dangerous. Raskin echoed this sentiment on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper, describing Trump’s rhetoric as “extremely dangerous” and urging all political figures, especially Republicans, to denounce such statements.
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Raskin directed his comments toward conservatives who have focused on perceived antisemitism at pro-Palestinian college protests. He noted that while antisemitism exists across the political spectrum, Trump is uniquely positioning himself to place blame on Jewish voters if he does not win.
“Antisemitism and racism lead to the destruction of communities and liberal democracy,” Raskin warned, emphasizing that most American Jews can recognize authoritarian behavior when they see it.
Trump has promoted his administration’s support for Israel, warning that Harris would threaten its existence if elected, even suggesting that Israel “will cease to exist within two years” of his defeat. Polling indicates that a majority of Jewish voters support Harris, with Trump securing only 27% of the Jewish vote in 2020.
In reaction to Trump’s comments, Harris’ national security spokesperson condemned his speech, claiming he was resorting to antisemitic tropes due to his insecurities about the upcoming election. Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman and a Jewish man, also reaffirmed that Jewish Americans would continue to live openly and without fear.
A joint statement from several Democratic Jewish lawmakers criticized Trump for irresponsibly shifting blame onto Jewish voters, arguing that politicizing support for Israel is detrimental to both Israel and America’s role in the Middle East. The statement was signed by Representatives Dan Goldman, Kathy Manning, Brad Schneider, Brad Sherman, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, as well as Congressman Ritchie Torres.