Former President Donald Trump told a crowd of Orthodox Jews on Friday that ‘you have to be loyal’ to pro-Israel politicians like him – not to mention his controversial dinner last month with anti-Semites Holocaust deniers Kanye West and Nick Fuentes.
Trump, 76, received several standing ovations during a 26-minute speech at a conference of teachers and social workers hosted by Torah Umesorah – the National Society of Hebrew Day Schools at his golf resort Trump National Doral Miami.
Trump spent much of his remarks rattling off a list of his pro-Israel accomplishments, including moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, acknowledging Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights, abandoning the deal American-Iranian nuclear and the supervision of the recognition of Israel by four Arab states as part of the Abraham Accords brokered by his son-in-law and Jewish advisor Jared Kushner.
But Trump also complained bitterly about failing to secure a larger share of the Jewish vote in 2020 — when his narrow defeat in a handful of swing states sealed his loss in the Electoral College.
“I got 25% of the Jewish votes the first time [in 2016]. And the second time, with everything I did, I got 26%,” Trump told his audience. “It doesn’t make sense for Jews and people who love Israel to get a Democrat.”
Trump is seeking a non-consecutive second term in the 2024 election, but faces potentially fierce competition for the Republican nomination – including from the governor of Florida. Ron DeSantis, who met Thursday with Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog.
“I just want to give you a little advice: I think it’s very important, because I see what’s happening in Congress – 10 years, 12 years, 15 years ago, Israel had a great friend in Congress. Today they have no friend in Congress,” Trump said.
Today, Congress is almost anti-Israeli, I would say, with AOC plus threewith all those people in there hate israel with a passion. And you should treat your friends with respect. You should treat your friends with dignity. And you must be faithful to these friends, because the friends are no longer there for Israel as they were before.
Trump ended his remarks abruptly when he received a standing ovation in honor of himself.
“There is a group that is very opposed to Israel and frankly the Jewish people and you just can’t let that happen. And so when you have an ally, and I believe I’m the best ally you’ve ever had -” Trump said before being interrupted by applause.
The ex-president added before leaving the stage, “thank you all, thank you very much.”
Trump made no mention of his decision to go into debt last month at his Mar-a-Lago club with West despite a series of recent anti-Jewish remarks. West brought in Fuentes and later claimed that Trump was impressed with the 24-year-old fanatic.
Trump reportedly fumed that the rapper, who also claims to be a 2024 presidential candidate, “tried to fuck meand insisted he didn’t know who Fuentes was before the meeting. West then gave a series of increasingly disturbed interviews, including sayings ‘I love Hitler’ to conspiracy theorist Alex Jones
Trump’s emphasis on urging American Jews to show greater allegiance to him has been criticized by Democrats.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused Trump of being “anti-Semitic” in October when he writing on social media“No president has done more for Israel than me. Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful evangelicals appreciate this much more than people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the United States. Those living in Israel, however, are a different story – the highest approval rating in the world, could easily be MP! American Jews need to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel – Before it’s too late!
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