Washington: Former US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Jewish-American voters would be partly to blame if he loses the upcoming November 5 election to Vice President Kamala Harris, saying that the Jewish community tends to vote for Democrats. His remarks came as he was trailing Harris in favourability ratings among American Jews.
During comments to the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington, Trump said Israel would likely cease to exist within two years should Harris win the election, and Jews would be partly to blame for that outcome because they tend to vote for Democrats. Trump made similar comments at a separate summit earlier in the evening, also in Washington, which was dedicated to fighting antisemitism in America.
"If I don't win this election - and the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that if that happens because if 40 per cent, I mean, 60 per cent of the people are voting for the enemy - Israel, in my opinion, will cease to exist within two years," Trump told the crowd. "It's going to be wiped out. That’s what’s going to happen. It's a tough thing to say, but what difference does it make from my standpoint?... If I do win, Israel will be safe and secure, and we will stop the toxic poison of anti-Semitism from spreading all over America and all over the world."
'We have to save Israel'
Trump asserted that Israel will be 'eradicated' if Kamala Harris was to win and appealed to the Jewish community to vote form him. "We have to save Israel. This is no longer games. This is no longer games. This is the saving of Israel. And I'm going to mention it, we're making a big statement in a little while at another conference, also very important, and I'm going to mention that again and again. I believe that Israel will be wiped off the face of the earth if I don't win," he added.
He also called Kamala "a bad Democrat" and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer a "Palestinian" for their stance on the Israel-Hamas war. "It's hard to believe yet, despite presiding over this explosion of anti-Semitism, Kamala Harris has done absolutely nothing. She has not lifted a single finger to protect you or to protect your children or to even protect you with words," Trump said at the event.
Trump was citing a poll that he said showed Harris polling at 60 per cent among American Jews. He also lamented winning less than 30 per cent of the vote among American Jews in the 2016 election, which he won, and the 2020 election, which he lost to Democratic President Joe Biden. A recent Pew Research Survey found American Jews favour Harris over Trump, 65 per cent to 34 per cent.
The Trump campaign has made winning over Jewish voters in key battleground states a priority. US Jews have leaned heavily towards Democrats in federal elections for decades and continue to do so, but just a small shift in the Jewish vote could determine the winner in November.
Trump distances from ally's 'antisemitic' remarks
During his comments, Trump did not address a CNN report published earlier regarding the Republican candidate in North Carolina, Mark Robinson. That report alleged Robinson once called himself a "black NAZI!" in comments posted on a pornography website and that he advocated for the return of slavery. Trump has frequently voiced his support for Robinson, who has been considered a rising star in his party despite a history of inflammatory remarks about race and abortion.
Robinson's reported remarks - including a 2012 comment in which he said he preferred Adolf Hitler to the leadership in Washington - clashed with Trump's denunciations of antisemitism in Washington and his claim that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, sympathized with enemies of Israel. After allegations against Robinson became public, a spokesman for Harris' campaign, Ammar Moussa, reposted on social media a photo of Trump and the embattled candidate. “Donald Trump has a Mark Robinson problem,” he wrote.
Harris on Thursday faced pressure from parts of her liberal base over the war. Leaders of the Democratic protest vote movement “Uncommitted" said the group would not endorse Harris for president, but also urged supporters to vote against Trump. The group, which opposes the Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war, has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US weapons transfers to Israel.
(with inputs from agencies)
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