The Left’s Gift To Trump: How Ignoring the Faithful Backfired Big Time

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

The Democratic Party took Orthodox Jews and other minorities for granted.

All right, let’s get down to the emes, and I mean the raw, unfiltered kind. The Democrats? They practically handed Trump the White House on a silver platter, and now they’re standing around like deer in the headlights, trying to figure out how he’s still the main event. They built him up, polished him up, gave him all the attention, and now they’re shocked he’s center stage. And here’s the kicker: All those communities they claim to “champion?” We’re not buying it. We’re wide awake, and we see it all.

The reality is that the left has turned condescension into an art form. Minorities, Hispanics, Black folks, Orthodox Jews – to them, we’re quaint relics, like the bubbes and zaydes at the back of the shul, just there to nod politely and not ask too many questions. They parade us around to show how “inclusive” they are, but they don’t actually listen. They treat us like we’re living in the past while they have all the answers for the future. But newsflash: We’re not as naive as they think.

When Covid hit, people didn’t wait around for a knight in shining armor. They turned to each other, to their families, to their kehillas. In Hispanic communities, it was the abuelas who held down the fort. In Orthodox neighborhoods, people looked to their shuls and their rabbis for strength. Everyone leaned on what’s real, what lasts, while the left was busy spinning its latest culture war. Watching them try to stay relevant during a crisis was like watching a bad Purim play, and frankly, it was as disconnected as it gets.

And don’t even get me started on how they treat Orthodox Jews. Outside of New York, Democrats act like we’re some kind of automatic blue-vote machine. They assume we’ll line up, vote blue, and stay quiet, like we owe them something. Meanwhile, antisemitism is spiraling out of control. Before the election, I spoke to liberal Jews who were seriously considering crossing the aisle – not because they suddenly had a MAGA hat in their closet, but because they felt abandoned. They’re afraid, fed up, and tired of being ignored.

I recently read a story about an Israeli student at Harvard who was asked by a university employee if Jews orchestrated 9/11. This isn’t some random street in the middle of nowhere – it’s one of the most “elite” institutions in the world. Jewish students are being spit on for wearing kippahs; Israeli students are getting kicked out of classrooms, harassed, and bullied. And where are our so-called “allies?” Nowhere to be found. Or worse, they’re justifying this garbage as “legitimate resistance.” They expect us to sit down, take it, and maybe even clap along.

I went ahead and posted some of this on social media, suggesting that maybe, just maybe, the left could use a little self-reflection, some cheshbon hanefesh. And what did I get? Accusations flying – everything from “Nazi” to “misogynist” to “evil.” All because I pointed out that the left has become arrogant, out of touch, and might want to consider why so many former blue voters are walking away.

Let’s be real: The Democrats have no unifying vision, no story to tell. They’re adrift, like a ship without a rudder. They’ve got Hollywood stars and social media influencers, but to the average person, it just looks like a fancy party they’re not invited to. On free speech, they’re constantly backpedaling, letting Republicans hammer them on “cancel culture.” Their hypocrisy is glaring. They talk big about “freedom” and “rights,” but when it comes to Gaza and Ukraine, their double standards are blinding. They’ve lost the thread, and everyone knows it.

The Democrats are caught between Michael Bloomberg-level billionaires on one side and radicals who question if Jews even deserve a homeland on the other. They’re stretched thin, trying to be the party of everyone – from working-class people with deep religious roots to university progressives who think tradition is some kind of disease to be cured. It’s like trying to fit a shtreimel on a hipster – it doesn’t work, and it looks ridiculous.

As the Torah says,“Ki lo tishachach mipi zaro” – This faith shall not be forgotten from their descendants. Push us to the margins, mock our beliefs, dismiss our heritage – but don’t be shocked when we remember who we are, and who actually stands with us. So here we are, with Trump, for all his flaws, at least giving the impression he stands for something. Somehow, he’s managed to come off as the “anti-elite,” the guy who sounds like he’s standing up for the regular guy. He waves the “Made in America” flag, talks about tariffs, and speaks a language that people understand. The left? They’re adrift, lost in contradictions, and it’s the very communities they ignored who held the power to keep Trump in the game.