Trump edges ahead of Kamala Harris with surprising group in blue state (2024)

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Donald Trump has taken a surprising lead among Jewish voters in deep blue New York, a new poll found.

The Republican gained support from 50 percent of likely Jewish voters in the state, compared to 49 percent who opted for Vice President Kamala Harris, according to a Siena Research Institute poll.

Harris' results show a slip among the electorate group since President Biden stepped aside in the presidential race, after he previously led Trump among New York's Jewish population 52 percent to 46 percent in June.

The poll was released Tuesday, the same day Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running-mate off the back of a surge in the polls for the Democrat.

The shift marks a dramatic drop for Democrats among a voter bloc they usually dominate, with statistics from the American Enterprise Institute cited by Fox News finding that Jewish voters supported Democrats by a margin of 71 percent to 26 percent since 1968, on average.

Nationwide, Biden garnered 68 percent support among Jewish voters compared to 30 percent for Trump in 2020, and in 2016 Hillary Clinton won 71 percent to 26 percent.

Trump's lead among Jewish voters in New York comes months after heheld a rally in the Bronx, which pundits remarked brought out a larger-than expected audience among African American voters.

Across all voter groups in New York in the new poll, Harris led 53 percent to 39 percent over Trump, a drop from Joe Biden's win in 2020 where he gained 60 percent support to Trump's 37 percent.

But while the GOP nominee claims that he believes he can win the Empire State in November, a Republican has not won the deeply Democratic state since Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Although Trump's narrow lead among Jewish voters may not be enough to turn the state his way, the new poll's results may be indicative of issues Harris faces in consolidating her voter base.

Supporters of Israel in its war with Hamas have raised concerns that Harris may not show the same level of support for the Jewish state in comparison to Biden.

The shift may be due to rampant protests among young voters over the large number of civilian casualties in Gaza, with conservatives criticizing her for caving to protestors.

Harris was the first administration official to push for an 'immediate ceasefire' back in March, and has raised the issue several times since in interviews criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Vice-President was notably absent when the Israeli leader gave a joint address to Congress last month, and when asked recently about Netanyahu's role in the bloodshed, Harris responded that 'far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.'

The new poll was also released on the same day that Harris named Walz as her running mate, snubbing Jewish candidate Josh Shapiro, the Governor of Pennsylvania.

Trump's campaign has raised the issue of Jewish voters leaving the Democratic party earlier in the campaign, accusing Jewish people who vote for his opponents of hating Israel and 'their religion' in a radio interview in March.

Speaking to former White House staffer Sebastian Gorka, Trump continued: '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,' he said.

Following the remarks, the White House issued a statement condemning Donald Trump's 'vile and unhinged antisemitic rhetoric.'

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Mediaite: 'President Biden has put his foot down when it comes to vile and unhinged Antisemitic rhetoric.

'As Antisemitic crimes and acts of hate have increased across the world – among them the deadliest attack committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust – leaders have an obligation to call hate what it is and bring Americans together against it.'

DemocratsKamala HarrisDonald TrumpIsrael