Trump hits at Jews for their Biden support

ATLANTA — Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized the mental fitness of Jewish voters who back President Joe Biden and framed this year’s election as a referendum on the strength of Christianity in the U.S., part of his sharp-edged continuing appeal to evangelical conservatives who are a critical element of his political base.

Speaking in Atlanta ahead of a fundraiser, the presumptive Republican nominee renewed his running criticism of Biden’s reaction to the Israel-hamas war and the administration’s support for the rights of LGBTQ Americans, including transgender persons.

“Biden has totally lost control of the Israel situation,” said Trump, whose rise in 2016 depended heavily on white Christian conservatives. “Any Jewish person who votes for a Democrat or votes for Biden should have their head examined.”

Trump spoke after Biden last week warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that future U.S. support for Israel’s Gaza war depends on the swift implementation of new steps to protect civilians and aid workers.

In Trump’s interpretation, Biden “has totally abandoned Israel.”

The president’s campaign pushed back on Wednesday.

“Jewish Americans do not need to be ‘spoken to’ or threatened by Donald Trump,” Biden spokesman James Singer said. “This is what Trump does, using division and hate as political weapons while seeking power for himself.”

In Georgia, Trump put the Election Day stakes in religious terms.

“November 5th is the most important day in the history our country, and it’s going to be Christian Visibility Day,” Trump said.

The former president was nodding to anger over the International Transgender Day of Visibility, which coincided with Easter Sunday this year, and Biden’s recognition of the occasion.