Former President Donald Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for not attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress and questioned American Jewish support for Democrats during a rally on Wednesday.
“Even if you’re against Israel or you’re against the Jewish people, show up and listen to the concept. But she’s totally against the Jewish people,” Trump stated, referring to Harris’s absence at the speech.
Trump expressed his confusion over Jewish Americans voting for Democrats, saying, “It amazes me how Jewish people will vote for the Democrats when they’re being treated so disrespectfully and badly. It amazes me.”
Trump’s comments are not new; he has previously made similar remarks, suggesting Jewish Americans have dual loyalties to the US and Israel. In April, he claimed that Jewish individuals who vote for President Joe Biden do not love Israel and “should be spoken to.”
Jewish Americans have traditionally leaned Democratic, with a Pew Research Center survey in 2020 showing a significant majority identifying with or leaning towards the Democratic Party. While Orthodox Jews tend to favor Republicans, other Jewish denominations, such as Reform and Conservative, predominantly support Democrats.
Trump did not address the absence of his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, from Netanyahu’s speech. A senior campaign adviser, Jason Miller, told CNN that Vance had “duties to fulfill as the Republican nominee for Vice President.”
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