Like other politicians, former President Donald Trump resorted to social media to greet individuals who celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, a happy new year. In the same post, he attacked “liberal Jews” for supporting the Democratic Party and appearing to be unloyal to both the United States and Israel.
Ph.D. candidate in Jewish and religious studies Joel Swanson interpreted this as a threat to accept MAGA politics or face the wrath of the entire right-wing movement. Despite being torn on a number of political issues, Swanson is confident that American Jews who oppose Trump would never vote for him.
Trump’s tense political history with the Jewish community dates back several years. According to the Pew Research Center, he enjoys the steady backing of Orthodox Jews. About 10% of the Jewish adult population identifies as Orthodox. Two out of every ten Jewish adults are considered swing voters, while the rest are committed Democrats.
Seven in ten Jewish adult voters in the United States, according to Pew, lean far to the left. Even while a majority of Americans agreed with Trump’s approach to the Israel-Palestinian dilemma, that wasn’t enough to sway liberal American Jews to the Republican side.
In a recent survey performed by the Jewish Electoral Institute in the summer of 2023, 800 registered Jewish voters were asked who they would vote for if the election were between Biden and Trump again. At 72% to 22%, Biden was the clear winner. Orthodox Jewish conservatives made up the majority of Trump’s base of support.
The study found that the future of democracy and the economy were the two most important factors for American Jews when filling out the survey. Abortion and climate change rounded out the top four topics.
