Trump boasts that he could ‘easily’ become Israeli PM

The US former president complained that while he’s apparently loved by Israelis, American Jews aren’t as enthused

Former US President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Sunday to vent about his apparent lack of popularity among American Jews. Claiming that he could “easily” be elected Prime Minister in Israel, Trump called on the Jewish community in the US to “get their act together.”

“No president has done more for Israel than I have,” Trump claimed in a post on Sunday. “Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the US.”

“Those living in Israel, though, are a different story,” he continued, declaring that he “could easily be” elected prime minister in the Jewish state. “US Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel – Before it is too late!”

“U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel - Before it is too late!” former President Trump writes on his social media platform. pic.twitter.com/AyWMyJDI5b

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) October 16, 2022

Evangelical Christians are among the most pro-Israel demographics in the US, with Israeli diplomats considering them a more valuable group to reach out to than Jews, who former Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer noted last year are “disproportionately among our critics.” 

With the exception of the small Orthodox community, America’s 7.6 million Jewish people typically lean liberal, with a 2020 survey finding that 7 in 10 identify with the Democratic Party. While 71% of Israelis approved of Trump’s performance in the run-up to the 2020 election, only 27% of American Jews rated the then-incumbent positively.

Nearly two years into President Joe Biden’s tenure, Israelis still view Trump more positively than his Democratic successor.

Ultimately, Trump took just 30% of the Jewish vote in November 2020, despite repeatedly invoking his support for Israel on the campaign trail and brokering the Abraham Accords – which normalized relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain – two months earlier. 

No Republican candidate has gotten more than a third of the Jewish vote since George H.W. Bush took 35% in 1988, and no Republican has won a majority among Jews in the last 100 years.