I Don't Care What Any Other Jews Say, I Do Not Support Trump for President

Do not let loser antisemites shift your values

For the last few months I’ve seen a number of articles and social media posts by Jews fancying themselves as representatives of the “why Jews shouldn’t vote Democrat” team that emerged during this election season.¹ One of the most high-profile voices is Shabbos Krestenbaum, a former Bernie supporter who spoke at the RNC.

This poll + the one at the end of this article is by JDCA

What they are basically advising is for us to drop our usual voting behaviors and to help put a deranged conman back in office because they perceive him as better for Israel/Jews. Part of me understands the impulse. There is a very real feeling of betrayal from the left—a feeling that I share—that has washed over us since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War. So they’re happy to hear from Trump about how he vows to deport pro-Hamas protesters (most of whom are U.S. citizens, so it’s unclear how that would work).

The extent to which their message will reflect in the actual Jewish vote on Election Day remains to be seen. I will now add my own voice to the (opposing) chorus.

Remember when your parent told you, “never make a major decision when you’re angry?” That applies to how you vote. In the fog of our our grief over the last year, there have emerged bad actors on both sides of the aisle who view our anger, pain, and confusion as an exploitable resource. Yes, I include in that category people like MAGA moron Virginia Foxx, who headed the congressional “it depends on the context” hearings. 

Do you really think that Virginia Foxx and her friends are doing what they are doing out of a profound care for the Jewish people? I don’t. When powerful people hide their real intentions for doing something that on the surface appears virtuous, that may be more dangerous than a common antisemite expressing their genuine feelings out on the street for all to see. At least they’re being honest—and they need to be dealt with accordingly. 

I am not going to set aside my core values just because other people are acting like loons. There is intellectual space for liberalism to run alongside Zionism, and I am living it along with millions of other Jews (many afraid to speak up about it). I will not be bullied into throwing my support behind someone who I believe to be a genuine danger to democracy. 

None of this is an endorsement for Harris, exactly. She was never my first choice and at the time of this writing, her chances of winning are unclear. I will concede that she and Biden may be guilty of not condemning the antisemitism at institutions (especially college campuses) forcefully enough. But neither of them are antisemites (read: I don’t believe Trump as an individual is an antisemite either). You’ll notice they did not allow anyone from the anti-Israel camp to speak at the DNC, where the kaffiyeh-clad mob who protested outside were either not acknowledged or removed completely. 

I am tired of people—especially smart Jews—talking about Trump as if they have either forgiven or forgotten every bigoted thing he did during his presidency. As if he’s the answer to all of our problems. As if him calling my native city a “disgusting, rodent-infested mess” is ok. As if using the term “shit hole countries” to refer to the birthplaces of immigrants is acceptable. If you want to stick to the antisemitism examples: does no one remember Charlottesville? Forget the “very fine people on both sides” comment — what about the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel having to escape with his congregants through the back door as white supremacists, fueled by Trump’s rhetoric, surrounded the synagogue? To what extent did the winners who stormed the Capitol on January 6th at Trump’s instigation care about Jews?

Since I believe in giving credit where credit is due, I will acknowledge that Trump did succeed with the Abraham Accords, one of the few major wins of his term. He also approved crucial funding for COVID vaccine production during the pandemic. Where he failed was basically everything else.

It comes down to this: there is just too much on the line—and yes, that the includes reproductive rights chipped away by SCOTUS—to sell out our democracy to a pathological narcissist who has a track record of mobilizing mobs of white supremacists. He and Bibi may be BFFs, but we all know that Trump would partner with the Ayatollah if it meant more power for him. We Jews may not agree on most things all of the time, but we do have certain rock-solid common values: democracy, freedom of expression, and education. Are those principles that Trump embodies?

There is a grim truth we have all been forced to embrace: antisemitism is a permanent fixture of western civilization, no matter how much that civilization progresses. Those of us who grew up in a United States where we believed that ugliness was largely in the past must learn to live in this reality. We are viewed as the symbols of moral failure. In a society in which that’s a white person, Jews are white. For MAGA types, we are oppressed minorities who require special action from them, kind of like as our saviors. Our Americanness will never overcome our Jewishness, no matter who holds office.

Whether or not Kamala (who herself is married to a Jew, a fact that seems to have gotten lost in the sauce) is the best person to take the reins is a different conversation — but she’s the only other choice. If there were a rational option on the other side, I would consider it. Trump just isn’t it.

One thing is clear: the era of the angry white (or orange-passing) man running everything is coming to a close. 

And you know it. 

This is a survey of Jews by the JDCA

1. Here is one such article.