The case for a Jewish congressman and former Democrat to elect Donald Trump in 2024 – The Forward

Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a Republican presidential campaign rally at Riverfront Sports in Scranton, Pennsylvania on October 9, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

(JTA) – Voters evaluate their values ​​and priorities before voting for president. For me, achieving and maintaining peace in the world is the most important issue to consider when choosing the president of the United States.

When we look at the last four years of the Harris-Biden administration versus the four years of President Trump’s administration, there is no comparison. During the four years of Trump’s presidency we had peace, but the world today is very different.

President Trump eliminated funding for Iran when he withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal. Iran was on its knees financially and was unable to fund its terrorist proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. Harris-Biden ordered the lifting of sanctions on Iran, allowing the flow of up to $100 billion into Iran, money that has been used by Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis to kill Americans, Israelis and citizens of many other countries.

President Trump designated the Houthis a terrorist organization in January 2021. The Harris-Biden administration removed that designation a month later, before reversing course in January 2024.

Remember: Iran doesn’t just want to destroy Israel; Iran wants to destroy the United States. In the Iranian parliament they sing: “Death to America – Death to Israel”. Iran is trying to build nuclear warheads to deploy ballistic missiles to attack the United States. Hundreds of these same ballistic missiles were sent by Iran directly against Israel.

President Trump had a credible policy of using American force when necessary, including eliminating Iran’s terrorist mastermind, Qasem Soleimani, leader of the Iranian Quds Force. The Harris-Biden administration effectively eliminated this policy. Iran attempted to assassinate President Trump on American soil and is plotting to assassinate former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Director of National Security John Bolton and other senior officials. These threats are credible and serious, according to recent reports. When the United States is seen as weak, deterrence fails and threats increase.

I think sometimes there’s a disconnect when President Trump says something that no other elected official would say. Sometimes we forget that President Trump is not a politician. We sometimes forget that his election as president in 2016 was unprecedented in American history. He said things I wouldn’t say. Sometimes your sarcasm and attempts at humor offend people. But when we judge him by his actions, by his policies and by what he achieved for the American people, I think the picture is clearer.

I don’t take any of this lightly. All four of my grandparents were Democrats their entire lives. My parents were Democrats their entire lives. None of the six voted for a Republican. I’ve been a Democrat since I registered to vote when I was 18. There is no one who can question my lifelong loyalty to the Democratic Party. In 2000, I wrote checks for more money to Al Gore’s presidential campaign than anyone else in the United States. On January 6, 2001, I introduced the motion on the floor of the United States Congress to challenge the certification of George W. Bush’s election. I was a Democratic elected official for 22 years, 12 of which I spent in the U.S. House of Representatives for the State of Florida.

Over the course of my career, I have had the distinction of hiring and mentoring two future leaders of today’s Democratic Party. Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, former chair of the Democratic National Committee, was my chief of staff in the Florida state legislature, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was an aide in my congressional office.

Since leaving office in 2004, I have divided my time between Florida and Israel, where my children and grandchildren live.

I have only voted for a Republican once in my life, in 1980. I voted for Ronald Reagan when he ran against the incumbent Jimmy Carter, because Carter’s policies of weakness and appeasement were an existential threat to America, Israel and the world. I will cast my second vote for a Republican on November 5, 2024, for very similar reasons.

There are many other political issues that voters can consider when electing a president. Personally, I am more aligned with President Trump’s positions opposing illegal immigration and transgender students competing in girls’ high school sports. As a founder of Hebrew-language charter schools, I support school choice, a Republican-aligned idea that Democrat Bill Clinton embraced as president. Our economy was thriving under President Trump. He implemented many ideas that the “experts” considered crazy, but the fact is that his policies worked. President Trump also passed the bipartisan “First Step Act” regarding criminal justice reform that “experts” said could never be passed (and Kamala Harris voted for that legislation).

These are questions that are important to me. Other people may prioritize issues like abortion, health care, or rights reform. These are important national conversations for us. But I deeply believe that, given the existential threats we face today, our safety and strength in the world is a prerequisite for these necessary conversations. When our economy is strong, when our military, intelligence and diplomatic advantages are clear, then our country, our allies and our values ​​are secure. Under President Trump, we were much stronger and safer than we are today. We cannot afford four more years of weakness and growing threats.

To me, the choice before voters this year is clear. The world is a very dangerous place because of the foreign policy of the Harris-Biden administration. The world will become a much more dangerous place if Kamala Harris is promoted and elected our 47th president. Under President Trump, the United States has experienced four years of peace and prosperity. We can expect more of the same over the next four years under a second Trump administration.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.