Republicans squirm at Trump's rhetoric about Jews
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Former President Trump at an Israeli American Council event in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 19, 2024. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
Former President Trump's latest inflammatory remarks about Jewish voters have Republicans in Congress again trying to perform a careful balancing act.
Why it matters: It is a dynamic with which GOP lawmakers will have to familiarize themselves if Trump is elected president in November.
Driving the news: Trump said Thursday during an Israeli American Council event on combatting antisemitism, "If I don't win this election — and Jewish people would have a lot to do with that, 60% are voting for the enemy — Israel will cease to exist in two years."
- He also said that any Jewish voter who supports Vice President Harris "should have their head examined."
- It's the latest in a series of critical remarks the former president has made towards Jewish voters who support Democrats.
What they're saying: A handful of Republicans, asked about Trump's comments, offered what amounted to light pushback against their party's nominee.
- "During this difficult time for Israel, we have to remain focused on supporting our democratic ally and combating all forms of antisemitism to protect our Jewish community," said swing-district Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.).
- Another vulnerable House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Trump is "not as smooth as we want," but added that "Jewish voters are supporting him in record numbers."
Zoom in: One House Republican close to Trump offered more blistering criticism of the former president's comments, but declined to go on the record.
- "I'm not going to justify his comments," the lawmaker said, arguing that Jewish voters make up a relatively small portion of the electorate and would not be responsible for a Trump loss.
- Jewish people made up about 2.4% of the U.S. population as of 2020, according to the Pew Research Center.
- The House Republican added that they "don't like this rhetoric," also citing Trump's comments about Haitian immigrants: "I think it's awful ... I think it's disgusting."
Zoom out: Several House Republicans, including those in swing-districts or those with large Jewish populations, simply declined to weigh in.
- "No comment," said Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.).
- "I didn't hear him say that," said Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.).
- "I don't even know what you're talking about. No comment," said Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.).
The other side: Several other Republicans leapt to Trump's defense or argued that his comments won't hurt Republicans with Jewish voters.
- Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) argued that Trump was "talking about the fact that the Jewish community is going to have a big voice in this election."
- Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) said that he hasn't seen Trump's comments, but "the Republican Conference, and President Trump when he was in office, have stood by Israel every step of the way."
- Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) said Democrats "have abided antisemitism on our campuses and helped fuel a surge in hate crimes - no matter [what] your religion is, I don't know how you vote for it."
