In Last-Minute Endorsements, Donald Trump Receives Blessings from 3 Jewish Papers
Donald Trump at the RJC. Image by Getty Images
Donald Trump has only received endorsements from six newspapers, as many conservative publications have declined to back him or announced their support for his rival Hillary Clinton. But with less than a week to the presidential election, the Republican nominee received the blessings of three Jewish newspapers — the Jewish Voice, the Jewish Press and the Long Island Jewish World.
“[Trump] represents America’s best hope for reversing the calamitous course on which elected officials from both the Republican and Democratic parties have led us,” the Jewish Press wrote in its last edition before the election.
Trump’s candidacy has turned off newspapers that usually endorse Republican nominees, like the Arizona Republic and the Dallas Morning News, each of which broke with decades of tradition to support Clinton.
The Jewish Press said its decision to issue a late endorsement came from the reemergence this week of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s inquiry into whether Hillary Clinton sent or received classified information on a private e-mail server while secretary of state.
Once publishing articles by far-right activist Meir Kahane, the Jewish Press has a reputation for conservative stands on the issues, and also for embracing an ultra-Zionist attitude on Israel.
The Long Island Jewish World and the New York Jewish Voice maintain similar editorial lines, and the two papers hit many of the same notes in their Trump endorsements.
Describing Trump as “one of the leading supporters of Israel,” the Voice praised him for his stated goals of eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Education, ramping up domestic oil protection and lowering taxes.
It also called positive attention to his business record.
“And as a proud entrepreneur himself, he would cater to and come to the aid of small businesses which he calls the heart and soul of America,” the paper wrote.
The Jewish World measured its tone more carefully, noting its qualms with the Republican nominee, but echoing these points.
It blasted Clinton for a “systemic lack of integrity” and “an inability to determine where the ethical ‘line in the sand’ starts, much less whether she has crossed it.”
The paper also raised concerns about her foreign policy and economic policy ideas.
“Hillary’s White House would pursue an economic agenda so far to the left that ‘socialism’ would become a pillar of her presidency,” the editorial declared.
“Her inability or unwillingness to prevent the Obama administration from making repeated errors in international relations during her tenure is of great concern to us,” it also stated, citing Clinton’s position in favor of the Iran nuclear deal.
The paper qualified its endorsement for Trump, but argued that it reached the right decision.
“That is not to say that Donald Trump has not engaged in troubling behavior, some of it egregiously so. But he brings to the scene the ability to reset the table — domestically, internationally, economically and politically,” it summed up.
Meanwhile, numerous publications have abandoned their non-partisan inclinations to support Clinton, citing her opponent’s unique peccadilloes and policies. These have included The Atlantic, USA Today and New York Jewish Week.
In an October editorial, the Jewish Week explained its decision as a matter of decency.
“This newspaper has not endorsed political candidates in the past. But this election is an exception. It’s not just about politics. It’s about character, competence and compassion,” the paper wrote.
Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter@DanielJSolomon
Correction: Meir Kahane was previously identified as the founder of the Jewish Press. He was in fact a writer for the publication.
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