by David Israel, The Jewish Press
Former President Donald Trump is frustrated with the lack of support from Jewish American voters, who appear to disregard his administration’s support of Israel. “Look what I did with the embassy in Jerusalem and what I did with so many other things,” Trump said last Thursday, and complained: “Israel has never had a better friend, and yet I got 25% of the vote.”
The former president and his religious advisors have announced the creation of a National Faith Advisory Board to seek support for a possible Trump presidential run from his conservative Christian base, Religious News Service reported.
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A Republican Jewish Coalition survey of Jewish voters during the 2020 election showed 30% of Jewish voters supported, and a J Street poll showed a 21% support.
“All I can tell you is that I think we have to have a great election and we have to have a powerful vote,” Trump said on Thursday. “If we don’t have a very powerful vote, then Jason, I’ll be talking to you in the future, but it won’t be very positively.”
Jason is Jason Yates, CEO of My Faith Votes, who was one of the leaders of faith groups who were assembled to listen to Trump and pose questions. Also present was Rabbi Yaakov Menken, Managing Director of the Coalition for Jewish Values.
The National Faith Advisory Board continues the work of the Faith and Opportunity Initiative Trump created in 2018 and President Joe Biden cancelled upon taking office.
Trump also expressed disappointment in his Catholic voters. “I’m a little bit surprised that we didn’t do better with the Catholic vote,” Trump said. “I think now they would give us a vote. I think we got about 50% of the vote. And yet, we did a lot for the Catholic vote. So we’ll have to talk to them. We’re gonna have to meet with the Catholics.”
Asked whether he believed in God, Trump told his guests: “It’s all based around God — it’s so important. God is so important to the success of what we’re doing. Because without God, we have nothing.”
Robert Morris, pastor of Gateway Church in Dallas, led the assembled in prayer, saying, “I pray, Lord, that you will do something even, also, Lord, for our election system. That we will never have another election stolen from the American people — from the American people. We should be concerned about that. So Lord, whatever we need to do to fix the electoral process, I pray for that.”