Trump: If I lose the Jewish people would have a lot to do with it

Donald Trump has said that “the Jewish people” would have a “lot to do with it” if he loses the presidential election to Kamala Harris.

The former president insisted on Thursday that Democrats “hold a curse” over Jewish voters and that the party is “very bad” for Israel.

Trump claimed that Israel would likely cease to exist within two years should Ms Harris, the vice-president, win the election and that Jews would be to blame because of their tendency to vote for the Democrats.

“I’m not going to call this as a prediction, but in my opinion, the Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss if I’m at 40 per cent,” Trump said at the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington, referring to his current polling.

“If I’m at 40, think of it, that means 60 per cent are voting for Kamala, who, in particular, is a bad Democrat. The Democrats are bad to Israel, very bad.”

Although Trump did not refer to any current polling, a recent Pew Research Survey found American Jews favour Ms Harris over Trump at 65 per cent to 34 per cent.

The Jewish community, who represent 2 per cent of the US population, are regarded as one of the most consistently liberal groups in the country.

Trump previously lamented winning less than 30 per cent of the vote among American Jews in the 2016 election and has worked at chipping away at this traditional allegiance.

“With all I have done for Israel, I received only 24 per cent of the Jewish vote,” he said during another event on Thursday, where he spoke to an audience of prominent Republican Jews including donors and lawmakers.

He added: “I really haven’t been treated very well, but it’s the story of my life.”

‘I’m the one that’s protecting you’

Trump went on to lament the decline of the pro-Israel lobby in the US over recent years, saying that in the past, “if you said something about a Jewish person or something about Israel that was bad, you were out of politics”.

“I’m the one that’s protecting you,” Trump said at the end of the speech, referring to the Democrats as “the people that are going to destroy you”.

He said that if Ms Harris wins in November, “you will have the most anti-Israel president by far”.

Throughout his political career, Trump has faced backlash over his remarks that have been accused of drawing upon anti-Semitic tropes or attacking the Jewish community.

While in office, he faced widespread criticism for accusing American Jews who did not support him of being disloyal.

His comments were likened to a long-standing trope that suggests Jews harbour “dual loyalty”, implying they are more devoted to Israel than to their own country.

In 2022, Trump faced criticism for meeting with Nick Fuentes, a prominent white supremacist and outspoken anti-Semite, shortly after launching his 2024 presidential campaign.