Jewish Americans are almost twice as likely to view President Donald Trump unfavorably (63%) as favorably (33%) throughout most of the 2019 calendar year. Though Trump has worked to brand the Democratic Party as anti-Semitic and portray himself as especially pro-Israel, a clear majority of Jews nonetheless say they are unfavorable to him with half (50%) saying they are very unfavorable. Across all major religious groups, only black Protestants (78%) and Buddhists (65%) express greater levels of opposition to Trump.
Jewish Americans are defined as both people who identify as religious Jews and the religiously unaffiliated who also identify as Jewish in a non-religious capacity. These two groups are nearly identical in their stances on Trump. Just over six in ten unaffiliated (64%) and religious (63%) Jews say they are unfavorable to Trump. Additionally, about half (51% and 50% respectively) say they are very unfavorable to Trump.
Over Time
The level of opposition to Trump among Jews remains relatively consistent throughout the year. Just under two-thirds (65%) of Jews express opposition to Trump between late March and June. Trump’s unfavorable numbers dip slightly between July and September (60%) as the news cycle about the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report ended. Opposition goes up slightly between October and December (66%) coinciding with the start of the impeachment hearings. Still, none of these changes display a notable shift in opinion towards Trump among Jews.
Party
Almost nine in ten (87%) Jewish Democrats have an unfavorable view of Trump, with three in four (75%) saying they are very unfavorable. Jewish Democrats stand out as particularly likely to oppose Trump even when compared to Democrats as a whole (83%). Just under six in ten (59%) Jewish independents view Trump unfavorably compared to about one in four (24%) Republicans. Jewish independents and Republicans do not differ from independents and Republicans overall in their stances on Trump.
Gender
Like most other major groups, Jews display a notable gender gap regarding Trump. More than seven in ten (71%) women say they are unfavorable to Trump compared to less than six in ten (57%) Jewish men. Women are also more likely than men to say they are very unfavorable to Trump (58% vs. 45%). Both Jewish men and women are much more likely to oppose Trump than men and women as a whole.
Age
More than seven in ten (72%) Jewish seniors ages 65 and overview Trump unfavorably. Opposition to Trump drops to about six in ten of every other age group including ages 50-64 (63%), 30-49 (58%), and 18-29 (62%). Unlike Americans overall and most religious traditions where opposition to Trump decreases with age, Jewish seniors stand out as the age group most likely to view Trump unfavorably. Jews ages 50-64 also stand out as more likely to oppose Trump than that same age group as a whole (51%).
Education
Jews exhibit a major educational gap in their views on Trump. More than seven in ten Jewish postgraduate (74%) and college graduates (72%) hold a negative opinion of Trump. Only about half of Jews with some college experience (50%) or high school graduates or less (46%) view Trump unfavorably. Jewish college graduates and postgraduates are also more likely to say they are unfavorable to Trump than all college graduates (57%) and postgraduates (59%).
Race
Two-thirds (67%) of white Jews say they are unfavorable to Trump, while a majority (56%) say they are very unfavorable. White Jews are much more likely to oppose Trump than white Americans (48%). The opposition to Trump drops to a slim majority (53%) of nonwhite Jews. Jews stand out as one of the few groups where whites express greater opposition to Trump than nonwhites.
Geography
Jews do not display notable divisions in their views on Trump by location or geography. About two-thirds of Jewish urban (70%) and suburban (63%) have an unfavorable view of Trump. Just over six in ten Jews view Trump unfavorably across all regions including the Midwest (65%), West (64%), Northeast (63%), and South (61%).
Denomination
Jews express similar levels of opposition to Trump across denominations. About seven in ten Reform (74%), Conservative (68%), and people who identify as “Just Jewish” (67%) Jews say they are unfavorable to Trump.