The Republican Jewish Coalition spent a record-breaking $15 million this election cycle in confidence that the Democratic party's handling of Israel and antisemitism in the US would deliver Donald Trump more than 30% of the Jewish vote nationwide.
An NBC News exit poll released Tuesday night indicated 21% of American Jews voted for Trump, with 79% of Jews voting for Vice President Harris.
According to the Jewish Virtual Library, Trump earned 30% of the Jewish vote in 2020 and 24% of the Jewish vote in 2016.
During a speech at an antisemitism campaign event in September, Trump scoffed at polling data that showed Democrats winning the Jewish vote by 60%, which he attributed to the Democratic party holding a curse on Jews.
Trump hurt by Jewish voters
"Forty percent is not acceptable because we have an election to win," Trump said. “Sadly, and I have to say this, and it hurts me to say it, you’re going to still vote for Democrats, and it doesn’t make sense."
Trump then repeated his frequent campaign quip that any Jewish person who voted for Harris or the Democrat party should have their head examined.
That night, Trump also lamented he hadn't been “treated properly by voters who happen to be Jewish."
“I was there four years, gave them billions and billions of dollars. I was the best friend Israel ever had, and still in 2020, now, I’ve done all these things, so now, Jewish people have no excuse,” he said.
“Sadly, and I have to say this, and it hurts me to say it, you’re going to still vote for Democrats, and it doesn’t make sense,” he continued. “I say all the time that any Jewish person that votes for her, especially now, her or the Democrat Party, should have their head examined.”
However, a Fox News poll out of New York showed a more narrow margin between the Jewish vote, with 56% of New York's Jews voting for Harris and 43% of New York's Jews voting for Trump.
Data on the Jewish vote breakdown in the swing states is not yet available.
RJC Board Member Ari Fleischer predicted close to 50% of the battleground Jewish votes going to Trump.