More than half of Jewish voters think Trump is antisemitic: new research

More than half of U.S. Jewish voters think Donald Trump is antisemitic and nearly three-quarters consider him dangerous, according to a new poll released as the U.S. President tours the Middle East, a first foreign trip of his second term that controversially does not include a visit to Israel.

Around 75 percent of such voters disapprove of Trump's handling of foreign policy and the U.S. economy.

“This poll shows the intensity of concern that American Jews have about Trump, believing that he is dangerous and doing things that increase antisemitism,” said Jim Gerstein of GBAO Strategies, who conducted the poll for the Jewish Voters Resource Center (JVRC), a nonpartisan group.

“Perhaps the most striking poll result is that half of Jewish voters believe Donald Trump is antisemitic.”

According to the poll, 52 percent of respondents said Trump was antisemitic, 89 percent said they were concerned about antisemitism in the U.S., and 64 percent disapproved of Trump's efforts to combat antisemitism.

Seventy two percent said they thought Trump was dangerous.

Trump has long been dogged by reports of allegedly antisemitic behavior. In 1990, Vanity Fair reported that he kept a book of Adolf Hitler's speeches by his bed. Trump said it was actually a copy of Mein Kampf, the Nazi leader's autobiography, given by a friend who was Jewish. The friend said he was not Jewish, and it was a collection of speeches. Trump said: “If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them.”

A former employee has said Trump deployed an antisemitic stereotype when he said: “The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.”

More recently, Trump hosted Nick Fuentes, a prominent Holocaust denier, and Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who has voiced antisemitic sentiments, at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Trump denies being antisemitic. His oldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, is Jewish, having converted before marrying the financier Jared Kushner.

Since January, as Israel's war against Hamas continues, the Trump administration has seized on claims of antisemitism among pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses, as it attempts to co-opt elite universities to its attacks on policies promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Speaking to reporters, Gerstein said: “We dug deep on antisemitism … how it's playing out in this country. Concerns over antisemitism are still very high. Jews in America are very concerned about antisemitism. But It is noteworthy that these levels of concern which which rose significantly after October 7 [when Hamas attacked Israel] have now, over time … receded back to the levels that they were at pre-October 7.

“That's not to say there's not concern. There is high concern. It's just receded a bit, and now … the concerns are much higher among older Jews than younger Jews.

“Part of what's going on is that Jewish voters believe that the actions that the Trump administration is taking, statements that the President is making, statements and actions of others in his administration, that these things actually increase antisemitism … it is very striking that a lot of things that are being done in the name of combating antisemitism, Jews in America actually think that these things increase antisemitism instead of reduce antisemitism.”

It has been widely reported that Trump is tiring of Benjamin Netanyahu, the hardline president of Israel, and his prosecution of the war against Hamas.

The GBAO/JVRC poll showed 69 percent of Jewish voters saying they were emotionally attached to Israel but 61 percent having an unfavorable view of Netanyahu, who 62 percent thought had “renewed military action in Gaza for personal political considerations instead of national security considerations”.

Seventy four percent of respondents said they opposed Trump’s “proposal to transfer Palestinians in Gaza to Arab countries and have the U.S. take control of Gaza and redevelop the land.”

In more general terms, 74 percent disapproved of Trump's handling of foreign policy in general, while 76 percent disapproved of his handling of the economy.

Gerstein said Jewish voters had expressed “overwhelming opposition to President Trump’s domestic and foreign policy agenda after his first 100 days in office.

“They strongly oppose Trump’s signature policies and proposals.”