Republicans won just 32% of the Jewish vote in the US midterm elections despite Donald Trump bowing to Israeli pressure and joining the deeply unpopular Iran war, exit polls show.
The Democrats seized control of the Congress in Tuesday’s elections, winning Senate and House of Representatives majorities, and Trump admitted the Iran war may have been a factor in comments made after the Republicans’ defeat.
Exit polls conducted by NBC showed that while a slim majority of Whites (51%) voted Republican, 89% of blacks voted Democrat, along with 62% of Latinos, 70% of Asians, and 53% of other races. Broken down by gender, only a majority of White males voted Republican.
Republicans won 51% of those aged 65 and over, 54% of high school graduates, 58% of White women with no college degree, 64% of White men with no college degree, 57% of veterans, and 12% of homosexuals.
They also won 60% of protestant voters, 50% of Catholics, 69% of Mormons, and 60% of other Christians, while Democrats won 77% of voters with no religion, 64% of other religions, 85% of Muslims, and 67% of Jews.
Asked whether the US made the right or wrong decision in taking military action against Iran, 37% of voters said it was the right decision, while 63% said it was wrong. Of those who thought it was the right decision, 91% voted Republican, while just 16% of those who thought it was the wrong choice did the same.
Among voters aged 18 to 29, just 19% thought joining the Iran war was the right decision, and 77% voted Republican. Of the 81% who thought it was the wrong decision, 13% voted Republican.
When asked “Thinking about your vote for Congress, how important to you was the war in Iran?” 74% said “crucial or a major factor” and 26% said it was “minor or not a factor”.
Of those who said it was a crucial or major factor, 63% voted Democrat and 35% voted Republican. Of those who thought it a minor or non-factor, 28% voted Democrat and 70% voted Republican.
On the US’s support for Israel, 50% of voters said it was too strong, 13% said not strong enough, and 37% said it was about right, with 20%, 59%, and 72% respectively voting Republican.
For young voters, 77% said the US’s support for Israel was too strong, 7% said not strong enough, and 16% said about right, with Republicans winning a respective 17%, 31% and 63% of each group.
Of those who voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, 92% voted Republican on Tuesday, falling to 80% for 18-29s, and 85% for Hispanic voters.
Trump congratulated the Democrats during an interview with FOX News Democracy 26, and conceded that conflict in the Middle East and high fuel prices may have cost the Republicans votes.
“I think a part of it was Iran, but at the same time, people understood the importance of what I’ve done with Iran,” Trump said.
Header image: Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House (US Government).
