September 19, 2024, presidential campaign news | CNN Politics

September 19, 2024, presidential campaign news | CNN Politics

September 19, 2024

Former President Donald Trump – while speaking at a “Fighting Antisemitism in America” event – claimed Jewish voters who support Democrats would be partially to blame if he loses in November, continuing to say that Jewish people who vote for Democrats “should have their head examined.”

“A poll just came out, I’m at 40% that means you got 60% voting for somebody that hates Israel. And I say it, it’s going to happen. It’s only because of the Democrat hold or curse on you. You can’t let this happen. Forty percent is not acceptable, because we have an election to win,” Trump said at the event with Republican megadonor Miriam Adelson in Washington, DC. 

“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%, if I’m at 40 – think of it, that means 60% are voting for Kamala, who in particular, is a bad Democrat. The Democrats are bad to Israel, very bad,” Trump said of his Democratic rival.

Trump did not say what specific polling he was referring to.

Calling 2024 “the most important election in the history of Israel,” Trump said Israel “has to defeat” Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Trump later attended a pro-Israel conference where he again claimed that if he loses this election, Jewish voters “would really have a lot to do with that.” Trump also said he thought he would have done “much better” in 2020, pointing to his administration’s pro-Israel policies.

“I was there four years, gave them billions and billions of dollars,” Trump said. “I was the best friend Israel ever had, and still in 2020, now, I’ve done all these things, so now, Jewish people have no excuse.”

This post has been updated with additional comments from Trump.