What Donald Trump’s second term means for American Jews—and for Canada

Until the very last day, pollsters predicted the 2024 U.S. presidential election would be too close to call, with just a fraction of a percentage point separating Donald Trump from his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. Many observers predicted a repeat of 2020, when Trump refused to concede, resulting in riots on Capitol Hill. But as the votes rolled in on Nov. 5, 2024, it became clear Trump was on pace to win a resounding victory for the Republicans and a surprise second term in the White House.

As of Wednesday night, Trump has been elected with 295 electoral collage votes, compared to Harris’s 226, complemented by a victory in the popular vote. Trump’s party also took control of the Senate and will likely control the House of Representatives, although those ballots are still being counted.

Political science professor Donald Abelson of McMaster University in Hamilton had an eye-witness perspective of the final hours of the election from his perch in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, David Weinfeld, a Canadian-born professor of American Jewish history, was monitoring the election results from his home in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where he had previously been a volunteer canvassing for the Democrats.

Abelson and Weinfeld joined The CJN Daily‘s Ellin Bessner shortly after Kamala Harris called Trump to concede defeat Wednesday. Together, they unpack what Trump’s victory means for Jews, Israel, Canada and the world. Their take? While some pro-Israel advocates may be excited, Trump will almost certainly not be a reliable ally for Jews.

What we talked about

• Read more about professor Donald E. Abelson in The CJN, and learn about his new books on U.S. politics, here and here.
• David Weinfeld has been a columnist for The CJN, and most recently was a guest panelist on The CJN Daily’s Canada Day episode on why Canadian Jews feel vulnerable in a post-Oct. 7 world.
• Why the "Tree of Life" synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018 was a turning point for Jews in America and not in a good way, by David Weinfeld in The CJN archives.

Credits

• Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
• Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)
• Music: Dov Beck-Levine

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