From the Liveblog of
Friday, July 3, 2026
Trump again asks why Jews vote for Democrats, says he’s been ‘best president’ in Israel’s history
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US President Donald Trump again questions why most American Jews vote for Democrats, and claims he has been the friendliest US president to Israel.
He makes the comments in an interview with CNBC while criticizing then-US president Barack Obama’s 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
“How a Jewish person can vote for a Democrat is beyond me,” Trump says. “Because I’ve been the best president in the history of Israel, and they acknowledge — and by the way, in Israel I think I was at 99% or something.”
Trump has historically polled well among Israelis, though his approval has tanked in Israel since he signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran that has sparked grave concern among Israeli officials, and that some observers have said is worse for Israel’s security than the 2015 deal. A poll published last month by the Israel Democracy Institute found that only 44% of Israelis think Israel’s security is one of Trump’s main considerations.
In his first term and especially during his 2024 campaign for president, Trump repeatedly questioned why most American Jews have historically voted for Democrats. In 2024, he took to saying that Jews who voted Democrat “should have their head examined.”
Exit polls showed that in 2016, 2020 and 2024, most American Jews voted for the Democratic presidential nominee over Trump. A poll in April of American Jews found that only 22% approve of his performance as president.
The Times of Israel Community.