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Why didn’t Jews vote for Trump? Other minorities abandoned the Left

Not many Jews voted for Trump. Wade Vandervort/AFP/Getty Images

Not many Jews voted for Trump. Wade Vandervort/AFP/Getty Images


November 16, 2024   4 mins

On 28 June 1969, patrons at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, fought back against the police harassing them. This was the signal event in the formation of the modern Gay Rights Movement. More than half a century later, homosexuality, then illegal, is now an accepted part of American Life.

On October 7, 2023, savages murdered, raped, and kidnapped 1,200 Israeli citizens. American Jews reacted by voting for the Democrats.

This November, blacks, Hispanics, gay and straight Americans decided they’d had enough of Government corruption, incompetence, malversation, contempt, and crime and voted for a return to common sense and the protections of the Constitution. They forsook identity politics, save to identify themselves as Americans. Absent from the roll call of groups rebranding themselves as citizens were the Jews.

The Obama-Biden-Harris regime coddled Iran, the sponsor of World Terrorism; they admonished Netanyahu to exorcise “restraint”, not to go into Gaza, nor to bomb Iran. Not only did Harris “cut” him in his visit to Congress, she arguably cost herself the election, sucking up to supposed Muslim voters by bypassing Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as a running mate. She chose instead a grotesque nonentity, who’d abandoned Minneapolis to rioters.

Christian and Muslim citizens, across the country, rejected the Democrats and voted as Americans, for American power, and for peace.

They saved the Jewish State.

A Democrat victory would have signalled Israeli isolation. Iran would have escalated, compelled Israel to strike, and brought about a World War. They had made it plain that the United States looked with disfavour on the right of the Jewish State to survive.

To my fellow American Jews: what in the world do you think you were looking at during the last four years? Jewish students were harassed and terrified on campuses receiving Government funds, antisemitic brutality was not given the status of “Hate Crimes”, our President and Vice President shunned their constitutionally mandated duties to greet the Prime Minister of not only a foreign power, but of our supposed ally. Congressionally voted funds for Israel defence were withheld by executive fiat. Our government issued continual calls for Israeli “restraint”, while withholding similar requests from Iran and her proxies.

And my fellow Jews voted for these people.

It is a mistake to suggest that he voted against his own best interests. But what is the American Jew’s benefit in voting Democratic?

“What is the American Jew’s benefit in voting Democrat?”

The Democrats were the party of immigrants: my grandparents and parents, the first American Generation. Republicans, in my youth, were (fairly reliably) identified as Country Club Wasps — the party of Big Business, while the Dems were for the worker, the unions, and so on. Those were the party’s log-lines.

The Democrats were also the party of slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, and later “Affirmative Action”, and its bastard child, DEI.

But the new arrivals voted Democrat and have continued doing so until today. Are they just “passing”?

Other minority groups have not only abandoned the Big Stick of the Left, but identity politics toute entière. They voted as citizens. They stood up, not to promote “their party”, but to protect their home. Our country.

One cannot have a country without borders. One can have one where the government mandates sexual indoctrination of children, blacklisting, persecution of political opponents — but that country will not be that United States of which we are citizens.

It is said that the most convinced liberal will change his politics when the rock comes through the window. But the rock did so a year ago, and American Jews criticised the victims for preferring existence to annihilation.

For 2,000 years, we Jews didn’t have a country. We survived by accepting the various strictures of those governments which grudgingly allowed us (intermittently) to live; and when the strictures abated (to whatever extent) we called it a blessing. And voted, for example, for Franklin Roosevelt “A friend of the Working Man”, whose administration sent thousands of potential immigrant Jews back to their deaths in the ovens.

We grew up with the slander of “Jewish Guilt” — that the Jews were, somehow, children of Original Sin, which could only be expunged by good works, and a dedication to whatever identified itself as social justice.

But Jewish anxiety is not caused by insufficient compassion, it is caused by insufficient Judaism. We cannot escape “the hot thumbprint of God” on our hearts. If we could, we would have assimilated millennia ago.

“I am Jewish but not That Jewish,” or “but I’m not Observant,” or, “but I despise this man Netanyahu,” and so on, are the utterances of fugitives, willing to vote for their own annihilation, rather than face their Jewishness.

But in what does this Jewishness consist? Each person must, of course, answer it for him or herself. The Torah is a traditional guide; its advice, strictures and contradictions and their consideration, are certainly more productive and more rational than the absurd blather of legacy media.

The world is corrupt, and has always been so, as human nature is corrupt. The Bible teaches that is because we’ve fallen away from God; the media, because of Donald Trump and Republican deplorables.

And, yet, the Democratic Party and their chaos has been defeated by our fellow citizens.

The Gay Rights Movement’s slogan, “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it,” is wisdom. Antisemitism is not the Jews’ problem, but that of our opponents.

To my fellows, you can be proud you are an American. Do so, and you will, subsequently, be proud you’re a Jew.


David Mamet is an American playwright, film director, screenwriter and author. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Glengarry Glen Ross.


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Rita X Stafford
Rita X Stafford
27 days ago

Well said, David Mamet. Couldn’t agree more. Sent this article to a long time Democrat theatre friend now in her 80s who has never had an upgrade in knowledge. She is chauvinistically Jewish, meaning, scornful of Christianity and disdainful of Israel. The good and bad news is that she is the only one of my leftist Jewish friends from the 60s and 70s who does not suffer from TDS so we can actually have great, even keeled conversations. Maybe because she’s from Chicago, the home of Saul Bellow.

Richard Littlewood
Richard Littlewood
27 days ago

You answered your own question in the article. Jews were the only group that didn’t reject identity politics at the polls. Ergo, they support identity politics.

John Croteau
John Croteau
27 days ago

Very enlightening, David. Great article! I have wondered this about American Jews for a while now. Even this article doesn’t provide an answer. My empirical observation in the Boston area, however, is that my Jewish friends are among the most indoctrinated TDS Leftists that I know. Perhaps it’s because they’re among the best educated (i.e., indoctrinated) in the area. Coincidently, so were the Bolsheviks.

alan bennett
alan bennett
27 days ago
Reply to  John Croteau

Best educated, that is now a debatable point given the poor quality of university courses and teachers, you cannot educate stupid.

stacy kaditus
stacy kaditus
23 days ago
Reply to  alan bennett

.

Martin Johnson
Martin Johnson
27 days ago
Reply to  John Croteau

I am Jewish in a very liberal synagogue. It is the same in Chicago, but I would say “credentialed” rather than “educated.” Or maybe “indoctrinated.”

Liam O'Mahony
Liam O'Mahony
26 days ago
Reply to  John Croteau

Of course, all education must be refuted and also any leaning towards the Left.. so that only indoctrinated idiots hold sway.. in my long life’s experience the bulk of Jews are appalling but a small minority are the finest people on planet Earth.. and I’ve always wondered why? Perhaps one of the latter (obviously not the former!) will enlighten me??

Andrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher
25 days ago
Reply to  Liam O'Mahony

Utterly bizarre comment. Probably the only people you’d (dare?) to make such a racist comment about would be the Jews and the Brits! Tolerance for people who think and believe as I do, which unfortunately is particularly true of progressive Leftists, much more so than anyone on the modern anti woke Right.

Tyler Durden
Tyler Durden
24 days ago
Reply to  Liam O'Mahony

Mirrored by the cliche of the Irish anti-Semite…

Cantab Man
Cantab Man
24 days ago
Reply to  Liam O'Mahony

Your post, Liam, reminds me of an anecdote.

A brash and decidedly vocal American traveled to Paris for business in the late 1980s, and, with one day to spare, decided to book a tour of the Musée d’Orsay.

Throughout the tour, the American loudly critiqued the art being displayed: Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Renoir, Seurat, Manet, and so forth, weren’t really as good in person as he had heard or expected. He’d seen better art work displayed at the county art fair in his home state, he triumphantly exclaimed to certain members of the group.

At the end of the tour, the professional tour guide turned to the American and said, “Perhaps you misunderstand … the value and importance to the world of this art collection is not in question … your personal judgment, however, is.”

Along the same lines, I cannot begin to explain back to you your bigoted and boorish beliefs. Perhaps they might be best explored with a therapist?

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
27 days ago

Based upon my reading, it appears that Jewish people typically hold socialist views of how societies should operate, even though their business dealings are based on capitalism. One example comes from the book A Village In The Third Reich which mentions German Jews actively supporting communist efforts to subvert and take over the German government in the years prior to Hitler becoming chancellor in 1933. So it shouldn’t surprise that US Jews voted for Harris more than Trump.

D Walsh
D Walsh
26 days ago
Reply to  UnHerd Reader

Now do some reading on Hungry and Russia, start with Russia

Sue Sims
Sue Sims
27 days ago

A very informative article in The Tablet (a US magazine which is largely Jewish) confirms my instinct that there’s a strong correlation between voting patterns and the extent to which Jews practise their religion: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/jewish-vote-elections-2024. I’m not sure whether David Mamet is adequately taking that into consideration.

The 401st Prophet
The 401st Prophet
27 days ago
Reply to  Sue Sims

I have a close Jewish friend and I can assure you that Judaism is not his religion. Political liberalism is. And he goes to temple. So Jews vote their religion.

John Lammi
John Lammi
27 days ago

“We’re here; we’re queer…@ was NOT a slogan of the civil rights movement for gay people. I became involved in 1970 , and we never said that.

John Lammi
John Lammi
27 days ago

Iranian Jews in Calf voted for Trump, as did Armenian immigrants in Calf

James Davis
James Davis
27 days ago
Reply to  John Lammi

Beverly Hills residents went President Trump three times. Estimates are that 70% of the 35,000 citizens are Jewish and that many of those are Persian Jews.

alan bennett
alan bennett
27 days ago

Oct 7th is the Jews future, that many continue to cleave to the Democratic Party that will enable even more attacks, is frankly baffling to normal people.
That many families think that surrendering to Hamas will get their family back is beyond stupid, all they will get is a body in a bag, if that.
The Democrat Party has dumped Jews for Muslims, just like the Labour Party here.
If you want people to fight/help you, then stop enabling your enemies by voting them into power. iyd’yots.

D Walsh
D Walsh
27 days ago
Reply to  alan bennett

AB I think you need to look up a list of the largest donors to the Democratic Party

Alex Lekas
Alex Lekas
27 days ago

I can offer up one answer to the “why” question and it was provided by the many Jewish students who found themselves targeted in the aftermath of October 7. It’s because those students believed the same oppressor/oppressed binary when the left used it against whites in general, white men in particular, straight people, and Christians. They were all for the monster when it attacked “those other people,” but were shocked when it came for them.
That it would eventually come for them should have been obvious. It’s not hard to find someone hating Jews for almost anything, but these students were perplexed. Their complete lack of self-awareness reflects having been marinated in the precepts of the left and the faux compassion of verbally siding with a perceived underdog without having to actually do anything. That’s why.

Liam O'Mahony
Liam O'Mahony
26 days ago
Reply to  Alex Lekas

WALOB

D Walsh
D Walsh
27 days ago

Jews support infinity immigration, so they could never vote for Trump

Trump generally wants peace with Russia, so Jews can’t support that, since they hate Russia and Putin

Liam O'Mahony
Liam O'Mahony
26 days ago
Reply to  D Walsh

But don’t Hews hate everyone and everything except the Talmud? ..not all of course l, some Jrws have a heart, snd among those some also have a soul.. not many, of course but those that do are thr best of the best!

Mark epperson
Mark epperson
27 days ago

Well, I would say they just didn’t vote because they couldn’t countenance Trump. It would interesting for someone to research two issues: How many Jews just didn’t vote and why would you vote Democratic in the 2024 Election?

Liam O'Mahony
Liam O'Mahony
26 days ago

This is insane.. it’s woke and it’s twisted..

Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
26 days ago

I find that the more religious Jews voted 80%+ for Republicans, while the less religious and secular voted almost exactly the opposite. Perhaps that answers some of this author’s question …

Michael Bond
Michael Bond
26 days ago

Like the others here, I wish David had answered the question.

Billy Bob
Billy Bob
26 days ago

Many on here (correctly) berate the left who criticise the ethnic minorities who voted for Trump for not voting the “correct” way. They also simultaneously berate any Jewish person who votes for a left wing party or doesn’t blindly support Israeli actions.
The woke and the anti woke, two sides of the same depressing coin

Christopher Barclay
Christopher Barclay
26 days ago

A large proportion of US Jews live in the east coast cities, which are politically controlled by the Democrats. These Jews chose to stay within the Democrat Party, where they have the possibility of shaping Democrat policy, rather than change sides and vote for the party that will not have a say in cities like New York.

J Cizek
J Cizek
24 days ago

You seem to be saying that the Jews in New York are opportunistic in that they side with the democrats because that’s the winning, powerful, side; the one with benefits. Which implies that, should the GOP come into power, the Jews would then vote for them. What about principles, beliefs, right and wrong?

Mr Brien
Mr Brien
26 days ago

The Biden-Harris regime actually coddled Netanyahu to go into Gaza.

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
25 days ago

The numbers he is quoting are wrong and the whole basic assumption of this article is off! The Jewish vote also tilted sharply towards trump – see this article in the Tablet: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/jewish-vote-elections-2024
I have seen this anecdotally with my friends and it seems to be representative (if you examine the stats correctly).

Johann Strauss
Johann Strauss
25 days ago

Many voted democrat because they theink they are part of the democrat tribe, except that they haven’t realized yet that the tribe no longer wants anything to do with them and have turned virulently anti-semitic (and that includes Harris husband and step-daughter who are self-hating jews).

Chris Whybrow
Chris Whybrow
25 days ago

Zionists don’t represent all Jews, and nor are all Zionists Jews. But if the author wants to know why those with Pro-Netanyahu sentiments voted for Harris, maybe that’s because it was obvious she didn’t plan on doing anything to stop him.

Abe Stamm
Abe Stamm
25 days ago

I don’t know what data Mamet was looking at, but of the Jewish voters in New York State, where the majority of American Jews live, 45% voted for Trump. That’s extraordinarily high for a group that voted 30% Republican in 2020. In the 1960’s American Jews voted overwhelmingly for the Democratic presidential candidate: JF Kennedy (81%); LB Johnson (90%); and H.H. Humphrey (82%). Times have changed, as has the Democrats position towards Israel, in favor the Palestinians and 2-State Solution.
There are many American Jews who are not Zionists and who don’t have an innate affinity towards Israel. That’s a shame…but, that’s why 55% of Jews voted for Harris.

sarah rubi
sarah rubi
24 days ago

My God, a proud Jew!, the ultimat answer to antisemitsm, shame so many jews internalize antisemitsm and turn to self hate.
Also a great shame how uneducated are all those lefties, jews invented the left!

J Cizek
J Cizek
24 days ago

Could it be that for most Jewish people, their voting pattern reflects a combination of wanting to participate in the current democrat elitism and the difficulty they have becoming fully assimilated.
This has always puzzled me, in light of how little most American Jews appear to support Israel, especially after October 7th.

stacy kaditus
stacy kaditus
23 days ago

Ah, yes, Mamet speaking for all Jews, yet again. What a joke.

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
10 days ago

This is total bullshit – based on wrong data (did someone say fake news…) – Jewish vote also tilted sharply towards trump – see this article in the Tablet: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/jewish-vote-elections-2024
I have seen this anecdotally with my friends and it seems to be representative (if you examine the stats correctly).
The whole assumption of this article is off! So stop treating it like the truths…