WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump said last week that if he loses the November election to Vice President Kamala Harris, Jewish voters “are really going to have a lot to do with it.”
As the first anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel approaches and the war in Gaza continues, the Republican Party’s presidential candidate spoke at two back-to-back events in Washington on Thursday, promising American Jews that with their votes he will be their defender, protector and “the best friend that Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House.”
He and Harris, the Democratic nominee, are competing for the Oval Office in a tight race with just 46 days left, and Early in-person voting has already begun in many states.
“The polls right now put me right up there with the Jewish citizens, the Jews — the people who are supposed to love Israel — after having done all of that, being the greatest president, the greatest president by far… the poll just came out and I have an approval rating of 40 percent,” Trump said at an event with Republican donor Miriam Adelson to combat anti-Semitism in America.
“That means you have 60 percent of the vote for someone who hates Israel, and I’m telling you that — that’s going to happen,” he said. “It’s only because of the democratic grip, or curse, on you.”
While presidential debate earlier this monthHarris reiterated her commitment to granting Israel the right to defend itself and said: “We must chart a course towards a two-state solution, and in that solution there must be security for the Israeli people and Israel, and equal security for the Palestinians.”
She called for an immediate end to the war, saying that “the way to end it is that we need a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.”
Trump also spoke at the Israel-American Council National Summit, where he said Israel faces “total annihilation” if Harris is elected. At an earlier event, he said any Jew who votes for Harris or any Democrat “should have their head examined.”
Trump also pledged to combat anti-Semitism on college campuses nationwide, saying that if re-elected, his administration would inform all college presidents in his first week in office that if they do not “end anti-Semitic propaganda” they will lose their tenure. their accreditation and all federal support.
Harris ad ties Trump to North Carolina’s Robinson
Trump did not mention North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on Thursday, the Republican candidate for governor of the state. Trump ally he promised to stay in the race after CNN’s devastating investigation published on Thursday.
Part of CNN’s sensational report was Robinson’s statement in which he referred to himself as a “black NAZI” on pornographic forums in 2010 and wrote that “slavery is not bad.”
The North Carolina Republican, known for his controversial statements, has become a talking point in the presidential race in a key state.
Trump is scheduled to speak at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on CNN’s investigation made Friday.
Meanwhile, Harris’ campaign aired a TV ad in North Carolina on Friday that aims to link the former president to Robinson. Part of the 30-second ad includes Trump saying that Robinson was an “incredible lieutenant governor” and that he “got to know him” and “(Robinson) is outstanding.”
In line with the Harris campaign, the ad also aims to highlight Robinson’s “extremely anti-abortion views.”
Harris addresses reproductive rights
The ad announcement comes ahead of Harris’ appearance in Georgia on Friday, where she reiterated her commitment to reproductive freedom in response to recent events. ProPublica investigation linking restrictive abortion laws to the deaths of two women in Georgia – Amber Thurman and Candi Miller.
Harris also highlighted the repercussions of “Trump’s abortion bans” after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, which ended the constitutional right to abortion after nearly a half-century. Trump appointed three of the five U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe.
“We now know that at least two women — and these are just the stories we know about — here in Georgia have died because of Trump’s abortion ban,” Harris said.
Thurman’s mother and sisters attended live broadcast event On Thursday evening in Michigan, Harris met with Oprah Winfrey.
Harris also made headlines at Thursday’s event when, reiterating that she owns a gun, she said that if someone broke into her home, “they would get shot.” Laughing, the vice president said she “probably shouldn’t have said that” and that her staff would “deal with it later.”
The Democratic presidential candidate said Thursday that she supports the Second Amendment but also supports assault weapons bans, universal background checks and red flag laws, calling them “just common sense.”
Harris is also scheduled to speak at a campaign rally Friday night in Madison, Wisconsin.
Trump to attend Alabama-Georgia game
Trump plans to attend the Alabama-Georgia football game in Tuscaloosa on September 28, the University of Alabama confirmed to States Newsroom.
The former president’s security is under intense scrutiny, especially after what is being investigated as second assassination attempt against Trump in recent weeks.
The university said that “the security of our campus is and will remain our highest priority, and UAPD will work closely with the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement partners to coordinate security efforts.”
Secret Service confirmed on Friday that they failed to provide protection for the former president during a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which was the site of the first assassination attempt.
Congress Control
As the presidential race continues to be tight, so too are the races that determine control over each house of Congress.
The Senate map favors Republicans, with several seats currently up for grabs for Democrats. Democrats would likely need to win the caucuses in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — and win the presidential race — to keep control of the chamber.
Election analysts say the House of Representatives is more uncertain, with about 40 races likely to decide which party controls the chamber.
