POLL: JEWISH AMERICANS OPPOSE TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS BY OVERWHELMING MAJORITIES

Barbara Goldman Goldberg • April 24, 2025

NATIONAL ONLINE SURVEY OF JEWISH REGISTERED VOTERS

Poll Briefing Thursday 4/24/2025 at 1pm  -


U.S. Jews Oppose Executive Orders and other actions by factors of 3, 4, and even 5-1


Washington, DC – By overwhelming margins, American Jews oppose President Trump’s Executive Orders and other actions on virtually all current issues surveyed, according to a new poll by the Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI), an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to explaining the views of American Jewish voters. By a factor of exactly 3-1 (72-24%), American Jews disapprove of the job President Trump is doing and by a similar margin (72-23%), they believe the country is moving in the wrong direction.


These are among the findings of a new survey of 800 registered American Jewish voters, conducted for JEI by the Mellman Group from April 15-18. The numbers have a margin of error of +/-3.5% and is representative of known national age, gender, education, geography, racial and ethnic group, and Jewish movement affiliation. (The 10% who identify as Orthodox are broken out below.) 


• The poll results can be found here. Detailed crosstab results from the poll can be downloaded here. And a one-page description of the poll can be found here.


(1) POLL BRIEFING INVITATION: 


Join JEI and the Mellman Group for a poll briefing today, Thursday, April 24 at 1pm EDT. 

You can join the briefing here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86126188187?pwd=Pz26edIgurYCAet4pjVZsa6v35FpBt.1


(2) QUOTES FROM JEI LEADERS and POLLSTER: 


“This poll makes it clear that President Trump’s executive actions – across the board – are wholly rejected by American Jewish voters. The president should not ignore these results, including on his handling of antisemitism, as they reflect significant political risks for both him and his party in upcoming elections,” says the Honorable Martin Frost, a former Member of Congress and JEI’s Honorary Chair and Chairman Emeritus.


"For too long, political assumptions about American Jewish voters have clouded our understanding of the views of American Jewish electorate. While America Jews might differ on a myriad of issues, they have consistently played a notably high turnout in local, state, and national elections across the country. I’m proud that JEI has produced empirically sound non-partisan data that captures, at this moment, the pulse of the American Jewish electorate. This poll serves as a valuable resource and helps inform our nation’s policymakers and the public with important insight into what American Jews are thinking, right now, on the most crucial issues of the day," says Barbara Goldberg Goldman, JEI’s Board Chair.


“American Jewish voters are deeply distressed about the direction in which Donald Trump is taking the country and oppose many of his key policies. Indeed, a majority of Jewish voters disapprove of his job performance overall and disapprove of the way Trump is handling antisemitism,” says Mark Mellman, CEO of the Mellman Group.


(3) POLL RESULTS:


On the question of tariffs on goods imported from foreign countries, JEI’s poll finds that American Jews disapprove of the way President Trump is handling this controversial and quite current issue by a 77-16% margin, a factor of nearly 5-1. Also in the headlines is the president’s Executive Order allowing the federal government to deport individuals without a court hearing, an issue that 23% of American Jews support, while 71% oppose, the JEI poll finds.


Even fewer Jews, 12-77%, support cutting Medicaid to reduce government spending. Similarly, they oppose cuts to the Social Security Administration by 79-18% and cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs by 79-16%, also a factor of nearly 5-1. 74-23% also oppose the dismantling of the Department of Education and 75-21% of American Jews oppose cuts to federal funding of Planned Parenthood, the JEI poll finds.


On the issue of supporting the president’s Executive Orders against specific law firms, the JEI poll reports only 15% support the order, while 71% oppose it. And 74% oppose the Executive Orders that cut federal agency budgets without Congressional approval, while 18% approve.


The one slightly bright finding for the president in the JEI poll is that American Jewish approval of his handling of antisemitism in America – 31% – is his highest approval rating of the survey across all demographics (except Orthodox Jews). Overall, 56% disapprove of his handling of antisemitism. Among younger Jews aged 18-29, nearly all of whom are either currently or were recently in college, where the fight against antisemitism has been a communal focus, 33% approve of his handling of the issue, nearly the same number as across all age groups.


Importantly, amongst Orthodox Jews, the JEI poll finds that they are the most strongly supportive American Jewish segment for President Trump, with over 71% saying they approve of the job he is doing as president and fewer than 20% saying they disapprove. They also generally support most of the president’s recent Executive Actions more than they oppose them. 65% of Orthodox voters identify as Republicans, 27% as Democrats, and 8% as Independents. 67% of Orthodox voters also say they voted for Donald Trump for President in 2024 while 21% voted for Kamala Harris. Many more crosstabs can be found here.


Statistically, 60% of all respondents consider themselves liberal, 13% moderate and 27% conservative. Approximately 70% said they think of themselves as a Democrat, 23% Republican, and 7% Independent. 10% consider themselves Orthodox, 19% Conservative (movement), 38% Reform, 2% Reconstructionist, and 31% of no particular Jewish denomination.


The JEI poll also finds only one-third of American Jews (33%) say they are a member of a synagogue or temple, while fully two-thirds (67%) say they are not. And in the 2024 presidential election, 69% of all American Jews say they voted for Kamala Harris and 26% said they voted for Donald Trump. Only 3% said they didn’t vote.


(4) ABOUT THE JEWISH ELECTORATE INSTITUTE (JEI):


JEI is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization that surveys, interprets, reports, and educates policymakers and the public about the perspectives, voting behaviors, and motivations of the American Jewish electorate. JEI undertakes all its work and reports its findings, without bias or favor concerning any political group or particular ideology. Through its polling, studies, seminars, focus groups, and educational programming, JEI is the leading non-partisan voice explaining the positions and voting behaviors of the American Jewish electorate.

Pulse of The Jewish Voter Amidst Iran War Shows Engagement In A Host of Issues

April 15, 2026
U.S. JEWS VOTING DEM IN CONGRESS MIDTERMS YET QUESTION WHAT PARTY STANDS FOR, ESP. ON ISRAEL JEWISH R ’ s MOST ID ’ d AS PRO-ISRAEL, NEW POLL SHOWS United in Support of Israel ’ s Right to Exist as Jewish Homeland But Mixed Concepts of Zionism Jews see too much Israel criticism playing into antisemitism While most Jews feel too many Israel supporters use antisemitism claims to avoid legitimate policy debate WASHINGTON – The latest Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI) poll shows American Jews are voting heavily Democratic in the midterm election for Congress. At the same time, Jews have questions about what the Democratic Party stands for, particularly on Israel. Jewish Republicans, on the other hand, are most identified as being pro-Israel, which is also one of their biggest image advantages over Democrats. Meanwhile, amid debates in the Jewish community over Israel, war in Iran and election politics, American Jews are united in support of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and homeland for the Jewish people. However, there are mixed signals over the concept of Zionism, with the majority seeing Zionism favorably, but only a third calling themselves Zionists. There is also concern about how antisemitism is becoming a part of the increasingly heated discussions over U.S.-Israel issues, by both sides. A large majority of U.S. Jews see too many critics of Israel using language about Jews that play into antisemitism, whether intended or not. At the same time, a majority of Jews feel too many supporters of Israel use claims of antisemitism to avoid legitimate debate over policy. These analyses are based on the final release of the findings of a national survey of 800 Jewish registered voters, with an oversample to yield 600 Jewish women. The survey was conducted for JEI by The Mellman Group using a high-quality online national panel from March 13-23, 2026. The margin of error for the sample as a whole is +/- 3.5% at the 95% level of confidence (higher for subgroups). Previous JEI analyses and releases centered on U.S. Jews’ pro-Israel identity and their criticism of the government, support for pro-Israel spending in the primaries and the popularity of AIPAC, DMFI and J Street. Also, on what American Jews would likely discuss at the Passover seder tables.

JEI's Spring 2026 Latest Poll

April 15, 2026
Jewish Voters Highly Engaged, Prioritize Domestic Issues; Strong Support for Israel and Caution on Military Action and Advocacy This recent March 2026 national survey finds that American Jewish adults overwhelmingly affirm Israel’s right to exist while also expressing caution about the current U.S. military escalation in Iran. Views on pro-Israel political spending, however, remain mixed. AIPAC has an overall favorable impression of 39%, DMFI 32%, and J Street 18%. Some key findings also include the following: Turnout and partisanship: Registered respondents report their very high intention to turn out for the November 2026 midterm elections. About seven in ten identify as Democrats (many strongly), roughly one in four compared to Republicans, with the remainder being made up of Independents. Democrats hold a substantial advantage in hypothetical congressional votes in respondents’ districts. Donald Trump receives broad net disapproval, and Benjamin Netanyahu is viewed unfavorably by more respondents than favorably. Israel and Zionism: There are mixed signals over the concept of Zionism, with the majority seeing Zionism favorably, but only a third calling themselves Zionists. Roughly seven in ten hold a favorable view of Israel; 87% endorse Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish homeland. Most see Zionism as Jewish self‑determination, though only a third self‑identify as Zionist. A surprisingly large number are unsure about the definition of Zionism. Foreign policy and military action: A majority of respondents oppose current U.S. military action against Iran and say the president should have sought congressional approval for strikes. Many prioritize preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons but favor clear objectives and oversight over unilateral escalation. 2026 Midterm Elections & Party Affiliations: American Jews are voting heavily Democratic in the midterm election for Congress. At the same time, Jews have questions about what the Democratic Party stands for, particularly on Israel. Jewish Republicans are most identified as pro-Israel, which is one of their biggest image advantages over Democrats. Pro‑Israel advocacy and spending: Opinions are split on outside groups spending in primaries—about a third support such spending, a third oppose it, and many are undecided. Respondents are nearly evenly divided on whether aggressive outside intervention helps or harms U.S.–Israel relations. Antisemitism and public debate: A large majority say some criticism of Israel slips into antisemitic tropes, and a significant share also believes some defenders wrongly label policy criticism as antisemitism. There is also concern about how antisemitism is becoming a part of the increasingly heated discussions over U.S.-Israel issues, by both sides. A large majority of U.S. Jews see too many critics of Israel using language about Jews that plays into antisemitism, whether intended or not. At the same time, a majority of Jews feel too many supporters of Israel use claims of antisemitism to avoid legitimate debate over policy. Domestic Issues are Important: Democrats are viewed positively on healthcare, abortion rights, fair elections, and middle class advocacy, while Republicans are viewed as pro-Israel but excessively conservative and unwilling to oppose the President. The sample of respondents: The current distribution of Jewish voters by party affiliation: 69% Democratic, 24% Republican, and 7% Independent. Poll respondents are mixed gender, highly educated, and religiously plural within Judaism (Reform and unaffiliated are the largest). About one‑third belong to a synagogue, but religious practice varies. Jewish women Voters: There are more female Democrats likely to hold reinforcing views, contributing to the party's electoral advantage, thereby fueling the midterm margin. The partisan divide is even larger among women. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Jewish women identify as Democrats, including 50% who are strong Democrats, and 24% who identify as Democratic Socialists. Likely Jewish women voters are supporting the Democrats in the generic vote: 78% Democratic, 19% Republican, and only 3% undecided. The Democratic vote margin increases significantly with age among Jewish women. Women ages 18-29 vote +46 Democratic, rising to +60 among those 40–59 and +58 among those 60 and older. These margins exceed those of the overall Jewish electorate, where voters ages 40–59 and 60+ both register a +48 Democratic advantage. The strength of Jewish identity also follows a consistent pattern. Among women who place lower importance on being Jewish, the Democratic advantage is +74, compared to +61 among the overall electorate. Among those who place higher importance on being Jewish, Jewish women still lean more Democratic than the overall electorate, at +41 versus +36. Jewish women are also more likely to disapprove of Trump’s job performance and the current U.S. military action against Iran. They are four points more likely than the overall electorate to disapprove of Trump’s job performance (77% vs. 73%) and the U.S. military action in Iran (59% vs. 55%). Jewish voters combine strong civic engagement and a clear Democratic preference with nuanced views that favor protecting Israel while insisting on democratic oversight, strategic clarity, and careful political tactics. Well-positioned issues that resonate for candidates and organizations in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections include emphasizing support for Israel alongside respect for congressional authority, clear policy goals, and sensitive messaging on antisemitism. "This poll reinforces a simple truth that the Jewish community is not monolithic, and the Jewish vote should not be taken for granted. Their concerns extend beyond Israel and Iran. It also indicates a critical need for education about Israel's history and the meaning of Zionism. These needs have never been more urgent than they are today," said Barbara Goldberg Goldman, JEI Chair. These analyses are based on the final release of the findings of a national survey of 800 Jewish registered voters, with an oversample to yield 600 Jewish women. The survey was conducted for JEI by The Mellman Group using a high-quality online national panel from March 13-23, 2026. The margin of error for the sample as a whole is +/- 3.5% at the 95% level of confidence (higher for subgroups).

JTA: Most American Jews oppose AIPAC spending in Democratic primaries, survey finds

April 14, 2026
The survey was released one week after another conducted by the Mellman Group and commissioned by the Jewish Electorate Institute found that a majority of American Jews have “not heard much” about the role that pro-Israel lobbying groups have played in this year’s early midterm primaries.  The poll, which surveyed 800 registered Jewish voters March 13-23, found that just 11% of American Jews had heard a “great deal” about “the role pro-Israel groups have played in the early 2026 primaries,” while 27% said they’d heard “some” about it. Meanwhile, 62% said they’d either heard “not much,” “none at all” or that they don’t know.