A majority of Jewish Americans say they’ll be voting to reelect President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump come Election Day, a recent survey found.
The 2024 Survey of American Jewish Opinion, conducted from March 12 to April 6 and published Monday by the nonpartisan organization American Jewish Committee, asked voters a variety of questions about the state of today’s politics, with those about the upcoming election giving a look at how if at all the nation’s connection to the Israel-Gaza war has shifted their outlook.
This year, the survey found 61% of voters would likely choose to vote President Biden into office again over 23% who would pick Trump. But when comparing to 2020, only one presumptive candidate saw a decline — albeit, small — in support: 64% of respondents voted for Biden in 2020, while 21% voted Trump, showing a small increase for the former leader and a small decrease for the incumbent.
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Still, the voters think President Biden is a better pick for improving U.S.-Israel relations at 49% compared to Trump at 25%, and with 85% saying it’s very or somewhat important to support the foreign country since Oct. 7, that tally could be an important note on the campaign trail.
Plus, with 93% saying antisemitism is a serious problem or somewhat of a problem in the U.S. — and 87% saying it’s increased since Oct. 7 — so will choosing which leader can better combat the issue, and 55% felt President Biden is more up to the task, while 20% felt the Republican front-runner would do better.
The survey findings come as the current president faces strong pressure to fight antisemitism as well as increased scrutiny of his approach to Israel, both from those critical of him pausing weapons shipments to the country and those calling for him to do more to initiate an immediate cease-fire. Last week, the president announced a phased plan for a cease-fire, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has questioned over its call for the withdrawal of his troops from Gaza.
Meanwhile, Trump has said that President Biden has “abandoned Israel,” and that any Jewish Americans who will vote for the current president are betraying their culture and “should be ashamed of themselves.” Trump has also called the president’s response to antisemitism and recent war protests weak.
But the survey shows most Jewish Americans don’t fully agree with the GOP leader, with 56% saying they approve strongly or approve somewhat of how President Biden is doing as president, compared to 40% disapproving.
