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How the Democrats may blunt Donald Trump’s bid for the Jewish vote

The Republican president’s pledges of afinity and pro-Israel policies may not be sufficient for him next year

April 24, 2019 10:52
US President Donald Trump

ByRobert Philpot, Robert Philpot

4 min read

Even Donald Trump’s staunchest supporters would not claim that the US president is blessed with huge reserves of subtly or nuance.

That was evident once again earlier this month when Mr Trump addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) and accused his Democratic opponents of pursuing “by far the most extreme, antisemitic agenda in history”.

The president in particular targeted Democratic representative Ilhan Omar, the pro-BDS congresswoman who has sparked controversy in recent weeks for a series of allegedly antisemitic comments.

These were not throw-away remarks, but intended to curry favour among a group with which Mr Trump has historically had a somewhat tense relationship.