Orthodox Support for the President

The President at the Kotel in 2017 (Ha’aretz)

The question is why? Why are so many Orthodox Jews Trump supporters? Considering the fact that the man is a walking contradiction to so many of our Jewish values, how can it be that so many of us voted for him? (54% according to a survey by the AJC)

And it’s not like there has been a decrease in support ever since he became President. Since then his negative character has became even more obvious… more pronounced. Much of his behavior and rhetoric are anathema to Jewish values. And yet the majority of most religious God fearing Jews seem to support the president more now than than ever.

Ha’aretz correspondent Judy Maltz put this question to Chaim Waxman - a former professor of sociology at Rutgers University. Professor Waxman has been a long time student of Orthodox Judaism in America and is himself Orthodox. He has just published a book on that subject: “Social Change and Halakhic Evolution in American Orthodoxy”.  His reaction to Orthodox support for the President in 2016 was as follows: 

“I was somewhat surprised, but not overly,” says the former professor of sociology and Jewish studies at Rutgers University. “After all, many Orthodox Jews today feel they have a lot more in common with conservative Christians and right-wing Republicans than they do with liberal Jews who vote Democrat.” 

This is exactly what I  have been saying for quite some time. The plain fact is that Orthodox Jews have a lot more in common with Evangelical Christians than they do with non Orthodox Jews. With some very obvious exceptions, of course. 

The values we share are biblical values. Something that most non Orthodox Jews no longer place much value on - except for those that match the modern day cultural values dictated by the liberal spirit of the times. (Yes, there is some overlap between societal cultural values and Torah values. However mostly they could not be farther apart. But I digress.)

Orthodox support for Trump is strong for the same reason Evangelical support is. 

What about all the racism his rhetoric generates? It cannot be denied that he does so. Probably for political reasons. He needs every vote he can get and doesn't care where it comes from. While decent people with any sense of right and wrong would never pander to racism, Trump has no problem with that. Even though I don't believe he is a racist anymore than I believe he is antisemitic.

If he has no problem pandering to racists, how in good conscience can any Orthodox Jew support him?

It is about policy. Not individuals. Good people will look at policies that support their values and vote for individuals that implement those policies. So that even if that individual is personally a reprobate (as the President seems to be) and their political opponent is personally a highly principled individual (such as former President Obama) whose liberal policies are seen to undermine their values, they are going to vote for the reprobate..

Professor Waxman explains this in a bit more detail:

This tendency among Orthodox Jews to go against the streams was already evident in a first-of-its-kind comprehensive survey of the American Jewish community conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2013. Roughly half of Orthodox Jews surveyed described themselves as political conservatives, with 57 percent saying they identified with or leaned toward the Republican Party. In their attitudes toward homosexuality, for example, the survey found that Orthodox Jews more closely resembled evangelical Christians than other Jews, with nearly six in 10 saying same-sex relations should be discouraged by society.

The Democrats tend to be seen as more critical of Israeli policy than Republicans, particular insofar as the occupation and settlement building are concerned. But Waxman does not believe this is the only reason Orthodox Jews are embracing the GOP.

“Israel plays a role, no question about that — but it’s beyond that,” he says. “The values that right-wing Republicans represent are interpreted by many Orthodox Jews to be similar to their own religious values.”

And Trump has certainly repaid the favor, appointing Orthodox Jews to some of the top positions in his administration.

I am happy to see a noted sociology professor coming to the same conclusions I have. I realize of course that Orthodox Jews of the liberal persuasion see things a lot differently than Professor Waxman does. They will for example argue vigorously that his support for Israel is paper thin and mostly symbolic with no inherent benefit. And would be abandoned the moment it becomes politically expedient for him to do so. I would argue with that. But in any case they are apparently in the minority.

All this should not be taken as an endorsement of the President for 2020. It is only meant as an observation and explanation corroborated by an academic of note about the current state of politics among Orthodox Jews.