Former President Donald Trump's support among Jewish Americans in New York dropped about 15 points between February and April, according to new polling.
New York has become an epicenter of protests associated with the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which has led to tens of thousands of reported civilian deaths since Israel retaliated for the killings of more than 1,160 at the hands of militants on October 7, 2023. Iran and Israel recently exchanged strikes, leading to more international turmoil.
On the domestic front, Columbia University in New York City canceled in-person classes on Monday after nearly a week of pro-Palestinian protests and sit-ins that have led to the arrests of more than 100 students. Columbia President Nemat "Minouche" Shafik, who testified before Congress last week said the cancellation aims to "deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps."
The situation in the Middle East is having ripple effects in the United States and on the 2024 election. President Joe Biden continues to navigate a dicey situation involving one of its oldest allies, pushing more for a ceasefire as progressives have discouraged support for the president in November unless he becomes more forceful with Israeli counterparts like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump's support among Jews in New York is also slipping, decreasing from 53 percent in a February poll by Siena College to 38 percent in a poll conducted between April 15 and 17—right as protests began escalating at sites like the Ivy League institution.
The poll asked 806 statewide registered voters whether they would support Biden or Trump, and 45 percent said Biden. Another 8 percent of Jewish respondents said they wouldn't vote in that scenario, while 8 percent refused to respond.
It represents a drastic flip from when the same question was posited in February, when Biden and Trump still did not have enough delegates to be their respective parties' nominees. Trump led Biden in that poll, 53 percent to 44 percent.
The April poll has a 4.1 percent margin of error. The February poll has a 4.2 percent margin of error.
A source within the Republican National Committee (RNC), speaking on behalf of the Trump campaign, told Newsweek via email that the sample size of about 65 Jewish respondents is miniscule in both polls and present a fluid margin of error.
They also point to how Trump's popularity among Jewish New Yorkers in the February poll is higher than Biden, 46 percent to 38 percent, when other candidates including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. are taken into account. The April survey did not include the same question.
Trump's favorable/unfavorable numbers have also decreased the past two months, going from 44 percent favorable/49 percent unfavorable in February to 35 percent favorable/63 percent unfavorable in April.
Biden's favorability among Jewish respondents has remained steady in comparison, totaling about 50 percent of support in February and 52 percent this month.
On Sunday, in a statement released one day before Passover, Biden admonished scenes like the one playing out at Columbia.
"Silence is complicity," the president said. "Even in recent days, we've seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous—and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country."
The statement was released one day after the U.S. House voted to provide support to Israel and Ukraine, including billions of dollars in unconditional military funds and weapons to the Israeli government. The national security legislation was opposed by 37 Democrats.
"History will not look kindly on the members of Congress who voted to send more warplanes, bombs, and unconditional military funds that will further enable the Israeli government's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza," Beth Miller, political director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action, said in a statement shared with Newsweek.
"This vote rewards the warmongering Netanyahu regime and brings the entire region closer to the brink of a full-blown war."
Trump has not commented on the situation unfolding at Columbia but this month told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that Israel is "absolutely losing the PR war."
"Get it over with and let's get back to peace and stop killing people," Trump told Hewitt, encouraging Israel to be more aggressive. "And that's a very simple statement. They have to get it done. Get it over with and get it over with fast because we have to—you have to get back to normalcy and peace."
Update 04/22/24, 1:31 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from the RNC.
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Nick Mordowanec is a Newsweek reporter based in Michigan. His focus is reporting on Ukraine and Russia, along with social ... Read more
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