The Omnipresent Weaponization of Identity Politics

Donald Trump has long mastered the art of grievance politics. Whether railing against global elites or stirring nationalist fervor, his political ascent has been fueled by divisiveness, not unity. Now, with his most recent comments, aimed specifically at Jewish Americans who dare not support him, Trump has descended into a new low: the weaponization of identity politics on the back of apocalyptic fearmongering. In doing so, he betrays not only his lack of respect for democratic pluralism but also a dangerous misunderstanding of what it means to lead in a constitutional republic.

In an event ostensibly focused on combating antisemitism, Trump took the opportunity to lash out at Jewish Americans, accusing those who don’t vote for him of effectively supporting the "enemy." With his characteristic lack of nuance, Trump warned that if he loses the 2024 election, Israel will face "total annihilation" and that Jews who do not vote for him should “have their heads examined.”

The grotesque irony, of course, is that this rhetoric was delivered at an event meant to address antisemitism—a scourge that thrives precisely in the type of toxic, identity-driven narratives Trump himself is stoking. The notion that American Jews owe their political loyalty to him due to his policies on Israel not only infantilizes an entire electorate but also perpetuates the very divisiveness he claims to combat. When Trump asserts that 60% of Jewish voters are casting ballots for "the enemy" by not supporting him, he crosses a line into outright demagoguery.

Trump’s argument rests on a simplistic, if not wholly flawed, understanding of Jewish identity and political behavior. The American Jewish electorate has traditionally aligned itself with the Democratic Party. According to a 2024 Pew Research survey, 69% of Jewish voters identify as Democrats, while only 29% lean Republican. This is not a reflection of some dark conspiracy or a Democratic "curse," as Trump so bombastically claims, but rather a reflection of Jewish Americans’ values and their historical commitments to social justice, civil rights, and pluralism.

Trump's frustration with the Jewish electorate boils down to his perception that he is entitled to their vote. After all, he has done more for Israel than any other president, right? From moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem to facilitating the Abraham Accords, Trump’s administration did indeed shift U.S. foreign policy toward a more pro-Israel stance. But his transactional view of politics—"I did this for you, now you owe me your vote"—betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to lead in a democracy. Political support is earned through trust, shared values, and moral leadership, not through quid-pro-quo bargains or fear-based ultimatums.

In Trump’s worldview, Jewish Americans who support Democrats are voting against their self-interest, or worse, enabling their own destruction. Such a perspective reduces Jewish voters to a one-dimensional caricature, as though their only concern is the security of Israel and they lack the capacity to hold a broader, more nuanced set of political priorities. But as with any diverse electorate, Jewish Americans have a range of concerns, from domestic policies like healthcare and education to issues of social equality and civil liberties. Their votes are not reducible to one issue, and it is insulting for Trump to suggest otherwise.

What is most disturbing, however, is not simply Trump’s misunderstanding of Jewish voters, but the apocalyptic vision he presents to the American public. His suggestion that Israel will be “eradicated” and face “total annihilation” if he is not re-elected is not just absurd; it is dangerous. Fear-based politics, especially when predicated on ethnic or religious identity, has no place in a democratic society. The idea that a single election, hinging on the support of a specific demographic, will determine the literal survival of a foreign nation is hyperbole of the worst kind. Worse yet, it is an attempt to manipulate voters through existential dread, rather than through reasoned argument or principled leadership.

America, once fearful of kings and dictators, now finds itself dealing with the legacy of a president who seeks to rule not by uniting diverse constituencies, but by dividing them. George Washington, in his Farewell Address, warned against the perils of political factionalism. He feared that the spirit of party would ultimately lead Americans to place loyalty to party or faction above their loyalty to the nation. Trump, it seems, is the living embodiment of Washington’s warning. His rhetoric is not designed to unite Americans under shared principles or a common sense of civic duty. Rather, it is designed to segment the electorate into ever-narrower categories of “us” versus “them,” where political loyalty is demanded, not earned.

What Trump is engaging in is nothing short of identity politics, a mode of political discourse that reduces individuals to their group affiliations—whether religious, ethnic, or ideological. For Trump, Jewish Americans who do not vote for him are not simply political opponents; they are traitors to their faith and their people. This is a dangerous form of political demagoguery, and it threatens to further fracture an already divided nation.

What makes this all the more alarming is that Trump’s rhetoric finds fertile ground in the broader populist movement that he has championed. Many of his supporters come from non-metropolitan, rural, and working-class backgrounds. Largely, they fall into the demographic of individuals who lack advanced degrees, a group often more susceptible to populist and conspiratorial claims. It is in this environment that Trump’s appeal to identity-based grievances, rather than policy-based solutions, finds its greatest traction.

As Trump continues to stoke fear and resentment, the long-term health of the American republic is called into question. His willingness to sacrifice national unity for personal political gain represents a repudiation of the very principles on which this nation was founded.

In the end, Trump’s message to Jewish Americans reveals not only his contempt for pluralism but also his failure to understand what it means to be a leader in a democracy. Leadership is about persuasion, not coercion; it is about fostering a sense of shared purpose, not dividing people into warring factions. Trump’s fear-mongering and identity-driven appeals are a far cry from the dignified leadership America once aspired to.

As we approach the 2024 election, Americans must ask themselves what kind of country they want to live in: one where political leaders inspire and unite, or one where they divide and manipulate. The answer will determine not just the future of the Jewish vote, but the future of the republic itself.