The 2020 Elections and the Jewish Vote

Every election year there is great attention to the question: How will Jews vote, and why?

A JTA article this week notes that Orthodox Jewish voters have moved to the Republican Party in significant numbers in recent decades and looks for reasons for the strong support for President Donald Trump in that segment of the community: 

Ultimately, the Republican Party’s support for Israel, conservative social policy and religious liberty might lead Orthodox Jews to overlook Trump’s foibles, Rabbi Avi Shafran, Agudath Israel’s director of public affairs, wrote in an email to JTA.

“While there are some Orthodox Jews who embrace President Trump as a hero, many more appreciate things he’s done that express their values and hopes but at the same time disapprove of his ‘style’ and things he has said and tweeted,” Shafran wrote. “They may still support him, but their support stems from his policies, not his persona. They are voting their interests, not donning MAGA hats.”

And unlike their more liberal counterparts, Orthodox Jews aren’t concerned about Trump’s response to rising anti-Semitism. Seventy-three percent of American Jews overall disapprove of Trump’s handling of anti-Semitism, according to the AJC. But overall, Orthodox Jews see Trump as an ally in the fight against hate.

Ami Magazine found that more than 90% of its respondents trusted Trump on anti-Semitism over Democratic leaders.

In a response op-ed, Hannah Lebovits brings a sociologist’s view to the question, pointing to globalization (including large-scale Jewish tourism to Israel), the increase in the political power of faith-based organizations, and the rise of media outlets oriented toward haredi Jews. She says these trends have had a profound impact on the Orthodox Jewish community and its political perspective.