Former President Donald Trump s declaration at a Thursday event in Washington that Jewish Americans would have a lot to do with his defeat drew quick condemnation as a textbook example of antisemitism, with both the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee criticizing the Republican presidential nominee.

Trumps comments, ironically delivered at an event billed as being about combating antisemitism, come as he continues his very aggressive and often awkward courting of Jewish voters, whose support he often seems to believe his pro-Israel stances entitle him to, despite their century-long history of backing Democrats.

Of course, Trumps focus on Jewish voters and frustration with their overall preference for Democrats were always a bit puzzling from an electoral perspective. Since Jews make up only 2% of the U.S. population, Jewish voters rarely top discussions of demographic groups that will determine the outcome, though they might make a difference in a race that comes down to thousands or even hundreds of votes.

Regardless of the electoral impact of Trumps comments, hes showing how he manages to constantly undermine his own efforts. And his words, Jewish critics fear, could send a very specific message to the darkest and most antisemitic elements of the far right.

Its the same old, same old: blame the Jew for everything that happens, said an ultra-Orthodox Jewish Trump supporter from New Jersey who attended the event, which was hosted by Miriam Adelson, a billionaire Republican megadonor and widow to the late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. (The supporter requested anonymity to avoid jeopardizing relationships within his own community.)

It remains far from clear whether Trumps comments are enough to cost him with Jewish supporters. The remarks havent even cost him the support of the New Jersey Jewish voter, whose concerns about Israel, economic policy, and support for Jewish schools still take precedence over his personal distaste for the Republican nominee. But Democrats are working overtime to keep Jewish voters on their side, as continuing intra-coalition tensions over Israels war in Gaza threaten to cleave the traditional alliance in two.

Last night, Donald Trump once again fanned the flames of antisemitism by trafficking in tropes blaming and scapegoating Jews, Doug Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris Jewish husband, posted on X , formerly called Twitter, on Friday. He even did it at an event purporting to fight antisemitism, no less. This is dangerous and must be condemned.

The Jewish Democratic Council of America, a liberal group that has sought to tie Trumps authoritarian impulses to dark chapters in Jewish history, likewise cited the rhetoric as more evidence of the dangers Trump poses to Jewish voters.

He said that if he loses the election, the Jewish people would have a lot to do with that. Now thats scary, considering the last time he lost, his supporters tried to hang the vice president, Halie Soifer, CEO of the JDCA and former national security adviser to Harris in the Senate, said in a Friday social media video . Hes even gone as far as to not distinguish us by party. So yes, Jewish Republicans, Trump supporters, this threat includes you too.

Trump made the remarks the same day CNN reported that North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the states Republican nominee for governor who Trump has previously endorsed, allegedly described himself as a Black Nazi on a pornography forum in 2020 and said he wished slavery would return. In the past, Robinson also called reports documenting the Holocaust hogwash.

With this latest report, [Robinson] has taken concerns about his ability to lead to a new level, Meredith Weisel, the Anti-Defamation Leagues regional director for Washington, D.C., said in a Friday statement . Calling oneself a Black Nazi and wishing for a return to slavery is abhorrent.

Still, it was relatively easy for Jewish Trump supporters to continue to justify their support, even if they took issue with Trumps comments.

What I found really perplexing was the main issue, which the event was called for, was to combat antisemitism. When it got to talk of that topic, there were a lot of antisemitic undertones in what he was saying, said the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Trump supporter from New Jersey. Im not saying hes an antisemite. I dont believe hes an antisemite. I believe he loves himself, and he has a grievance [with] the Jewish community.

The New Jersey Jewish voter is not exactly a dyed-in-the-wool Trump supporter. A traditional conservative who voted for former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Republican primary, he still feels he can trust Trump more than Harris to help protect Israel. His plan to vote for Trump, despite his issues with Trumps rhetoric, also stems from the Republican Partys support for lower taxes and other business-friendly policies, public funding for private religious schools, and what he sees as religious freedom for conservative faith practitioners.

Already not a fan of Trumps rhetoric, this voter expected him to complain about how Jews who dont support him need to get their head examined a type of comment Trump has made several times before and that the voter also finds offensive. But he was nonetheless taken aback by Trumps warning that he would hold the Jewish community partly responsible for a potential loss.

Meanwhile, the Republican Jewish Coalition hailed Trumps speech as a tour de force in support of the Jewish community and Israel, without addressing the controversial parts of his remarks. Matthew Brooks, CEO of the RJC, seemed to allude to the criticism dismissively with a Friday evening post on X that said simply, Blah blah blah blah blah.

Democrats efforts to paint Trump as a threat to Jewish voters security and interests come as Trump and his allies argue forcefully that he is the better candidate for Jews.

Republicans case focuses on Trumps record of staunch support for Israel, which included moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israels annexation of the Golan Heights, and presiding over the Abraham Accords, a series of peace treaties between Israel and Arab nations like the United Arab Emirates.

Trump is also hoping to take advantage of many Jewish Americans discomfort with the activist lefts vehement criticism of Israels invasion of Gaza in response to the Palestinian militant group Hamas massacre of Israelis on Oct. 7. Mainstream Jewish groups have condemned the actions of pro-Palestinian groups on college campuses in particular, where there have been reports of Jewish students being intimidated or bullied for expressing support for Israel , and sometimes even without that pretense .

Given the association of many of these incidents with a pro-Palestinian movement aligned with the political left, including a handful of left-wing Democrats in Congress, Trump and his allies maintain that he is the more credible bulwark against antisemitism.

The presidents frustration with the Jewish community is that it doesnt realize the extent of the antisemitic portion of the Democratic Party , said Yehuda Kaploun, a Miami-area entrepreneur and friend of Trumps, who was present at the antisemitism event in Washington on Thursday. Because if any Jew would spend the time to look at the history of Nazi Germany or look at the history right now of whats occurring in America, there are stark similarities to nobody standing up to combat antisemitism.

Pressed for his reaction to Trumps line about Jewish responsibility for his potential defeat, Kaploun, an informal adviser to Trump on Jewish affairs, downplayed that part of the former presidents remarks.

It has to be taken in the greater context of the entire speech, because its a matter of the Jewish community needing to be better educated as to the differences between the parties and the fact that the Democratic Party has now become a haven for a portion of antisemitic behavior, Kaploun said.