In a recent interview on the America First radio show hosted by his former White House aide Sebastian Gorka, former President Donald Trump made remarks that have caused an uproar among political figures and the Jewish community. Trump claimed that "any Jewish person that votes for Democrats... [hates] everything about Israel," using the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas as a tool to criticize President Joe Biden as the 2024 election approaches.

During the interview, Trump criticized Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer for his suggestion that Israel hold new elections and voiced his displeasure with the leadership of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The strain between the Biden administration and Netanyahu's government has worsened since the conflict began, with Biden recently speaking to the prime minister for the first time in a month. While initially showing strong support for Israel, Biden and other top Democrats have since publicly criticized the Israeli government for not taking enough precautions to prevent harm to civilians, as more than 30,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in the conflict. These comments indicate a shift in the Democratic Party's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In response to a question from Gorka about why Democrats allegedly despise Netanyahu, Trump stated, "I actually think they hate Israel. And the Democrat Party hates Israel." He went on to suggest that Democrats see the Palestinian marches as an opportunity to gain votes, particularly targeting Schumer and accusing him of changing his pro-Israel stance. Trump's remarks further escalated when he said, "Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed."

The comments made by Trump drew swift condemnation from various political figures. Senator Chuck Schumer retweeted a clip of the remarks, emphasizing that making Israel a partisan issue harms the US-Israel relationship. Senator Brian Schatz labeled Trump's statements as one of the most antisemitic things said by a public official. Maryland Senator Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also deemed the remarks as antisemitic and harmful to the country.

Adding to the criticism, a spokesperson highlighted previous instances where Trump had made derogatory remarks about Jewish Americans, including praising neo-Nazis who chanted antisemitic slogans during the 2017 Charlottesville rally. Democratic Representative Becca Balint accused Trump of making these remarks to distract from his own legal issues, specifically his inability to post a bond for his $464 million fraud judgment. Steve Cohen, a House Democrat, claimed that Trump has no understanding or respect for Jews, religion, or Israel.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Trump furthered his narrative by accusing the Biden administration of providing aid to Gaza and the Iranian regime, while members of Congress signed petitions in support of Gaza terrorists and yielded to the demands of far-left Palestinian extremists. The spokesperson called the Democratic Party an "anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, pro-terrorist cabal."

The Pew Research Center has reported that US Jews have traditionally leaned towards the Democratic Party, with 71% identifying with or leaning towards the Democrats in a survey conducted between 2019 and 2020. Trump's remarks have ignited a debate about the beliefs and affiliations of Jewish Americans and the increasingly polarized nature of support for Israel within different political parties.

As the controversy continues to unfold, critics argue that Trump's comments further contribute to an already divisive political climate, while his supporters claim that he is shedding light on what they perceive as a shift in Democratic support for Israel. The impact of these remarks on future elections and the US-Israel relationship remains to be seen.