By Paul Bedard
President Trump has seen no bump in support from Jewish voters since his election despite his efforts to rebuild U.S.-Israel relations, move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, double economic growth and assign his son-in-law to develop a new Mideast Peace Plan.
A newly released poll said that if the presidential election were to be held now, Trump would get 26 percent of the Jewish vote, with 74 percent going to the Democrat.
An equal among of Jews plan to vote for Democrats in the upcoming congressional election.
When asked about several issues, the only one that Jewish voters gave Trump a positive response on was U.S.-Israel relations, but by a hair, 51 percent to 49 percent. Only 44 percent gave a thumbs up for his embassy move.
The Mellman Group survey said that Jewish voters are much harsher in their view of Trump than the general public. “Overall just 25 percent of American Jews approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 75 percent disapprove. Here too Jews prove far more hostile to Trump than the population at large. On average, about 43 percent of Americans overall approve of the job the president is doing, while 53 percent disapprove,” said the poll conducted for Jewish Electorate Institute.
One reason for their dismissal of Trump is that 64 percent of Jews consider themselves liberal.
The survey is sure to surprise many considering the president’s outreach to Israel and Jewish voters. For example, he has asked Jared Kushner to build a new peace plan and just this week his son Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend and Trump surrogate Kimberly Guilfoyle attended a Republican Jewish Coalition where she received applause for her list of Trump achievements in Israel.
In 2016, Trump won just 24 percent of the Jewish vote and reports said that Jews chose Hillary Rodham Clinton over Trump more than any other voting group.
And in 2020 they like Joe Biden even more than they liked former President Obama.
The bottom line, said the survey:
“American Jews remain fiercely loyal to the Democratic Party, which they see as pro-Israel and also as representing their views on a wide range of issues, both foreign and domestic. They offer negative assessments of President Trump and nearly all his policies, and prioritize domestic issues in deciding which candidate to support. Jews will once again be voting for Democrats in overwhelming numbers next month.”
