Trump: Jews 'Would Have a Lot to Do' With It If He Loses

On Thursday, Donald Trump appeared at two different events to speak on antisemitism and shore up Jewish support for his reelection campaign, vowing at one event in front of Jewish donors to be "the best friend Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House," per the AP. But at that gathering, and one later in the day at a summit for the Israeli American Council, the former president made further remarks that raised some eyebrows on the topic.

• Event No. 1: "If I don't win this election ... the Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss," Trump said at the first event in DC before GOP donors, including megadonor Miriam Adelson, per the New York Times. "With all I have done for Israel, I received only 24% of the Jewish vote," Trump continued. "I really haven't been treated very well, but it's the story of my life."

• Event No. 2: At the second event before the IAC, Trump said that American Jews who voted "for the enemy" (i.e., Democrats) would be responsible for bringing on Israel's destruction if he's not elected in November. He suggested that the Democratic Party appeared to have a "hold, or curse" over Jewish Americans, claimed that he should have "100%" of the Jewish vote, and said that any person who votes for his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, "should have their head examined," per Politico.
• Context: The former president has sought to depict himself as the presidential candidate most sympathetic to the Jewish (and Israeli) cause, including by moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while he was in office and acknowledging Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, per the AP. But he has also been slammed for associating with people who've spewed antisemitic rhetoric, including Kanye West and far-right activist Nick Fuentes, and he's accused Jewish Americans of being disloyal in the past for not supporting him.
• Mark Robinson: The Times also notes that Trump didn't mention at either event Mark Robinson, North Carolina's lieutenant governor and gubernatorial candidate, and a Trump ally, who CNN reports referred to himself as a "black NAZI" years ago on a porn site's message board. The outlet also reports on a past antisemitic slur used by Robinson, who's apparently staying in the race for governor after reports Thursday that he made a series of controversial posts on said message board. Robinson has denied making those remarks.

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