On Thursday, Donald Trump made a controversial remark suggesting that Jewish people could be partly responsible if he were to lose the 2024 election. The statement, made during a “Fighting Anti-Semitism in America” event in Washington, has drawn sharp criticism from Jewish groups and leaders.
Trump stated, “I really haven’t been treated right, but you haven’t been treated right because you’re putting yourself in great danger,” implying that Jews would play a substantial role in his potential electoral defeat. He has also repeated a claim that Jewish voters supporting Vice President Kamala Harris should have their “head examined.”
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With the 2024 race heating up, Trump’s campaign is eager to win over Jewish voters, particularly in key swing states. Traditionally, this demographic has favored Democrats; a recent poll indicated that Harris holds the support of 72% of Jewish voters, while Trump manages just 25%.
In battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, where Jewish voters could make a significant impact, Trump’s comments risk alienating them. The Jewish population in Pennsylvania exceeds 400,000, and with crucial Electoral College votes at stake, every vote counts—a lesson learned from Biden’s narrow victory by only 80,000 votes in 2020.
Other swing states like Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan, each with sizeable Jewish populations, will also be pivotal. In 2020, Trump lost Georgia by 11,700 votes and Arizona by approximately 10,500 votes; those are numbers that could shift with the Jewish vote.
In addition, Trump’s attempts to appeal to Jewish voters in North Carolina may face challenges due to his support for gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, whose past controversies, including accusations of being a Holocaust denier, could hinder Trump’s outreach.
In Nevada and Wisconsin, where Jewish populations also outstrip Biden’s victory margins, the dynamics are similarly complicated. Trump’s previous actions, like moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, and current positioning on Israel’s defense rights amid ongoing conflicts, form part of his strategy to engage Jewish voters.
As the election cycle progresses, the decisions made by Jewish voters across these states will be crucial in determining the outcome of this highly competitive race.