Dear Revealer readers,

Last month, GBAO strategies, a polling firm with a long history of surveying Jewish Americans, released its report on what American Jews think about Donald Trump. Given that he has made targeting antisemitism a cornerstone of his first months in office, one might think American Jews approve of his work, or at least his efforts to curb antisemitism. Such an assumption would be very wrong.

According to the report, 74% of American Jews disapprove of Donald Trump’s job performance. But more than that, 72% believe he is “dangerous.” And 69% of Jewish voters think Trump is a “fascist.”

When asked about the arrests and deportations of pro-Palestinian protestors who are legal residents, 61% of American Jews said that such actions are likely to increase antisemitism, not diminish it. As Ian Lustick, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, told the Religion News Service about these results, “I think it’s very scary to a lot of Jews that someone can be whisked off the street and sent away because of the whim of the government.”

Revealer Editor, Brett Krutzsch

And amidst a political climate where any criticism of Israel can get labeled as antisemitism by the White House and Congressional Republicans, 92% of American Jews, according to this poll, agree with the statement that “someone can be critical of Israeli government policies and still be ‘pro-Israel.’” As it turns out, most American Jews are aware that one can criticize Israel without engaging in antisemitism.

What should we make of these results? At a basic level, most American Jews are not moved by Donald Trump’s claim that he will be “the best friend American Jews have ever had in the White House.” More than that, Jewish voters strongly disapprove of Trump’s performance as President. And they believe he is making antisemitism worse. After all, taking billions of dollars away from universities and research centers does not improve Jewish life in the United States. In fact, it unequivocally makes Jewish life worse. How many Jewish scholars have lost grants for research that would benefit everyone since Trump returned to the White House? Cutting cancer research at elite universities, for example, will not address antisemitism. Instead, it will literally destroy lives—all while the White House uses Jews to justify its attacks on higher education and research more broadly.

We have a situation where the President and Republican Party are using Jews as a cover to attack and destroy institutions that are vital to this country’s thriving. If the President or Republican-led Congressional committees wanted to address antisemitism in a serious way, they should start with the white supremacist and rightwing Christian nationalist supporters within their own ranks. Or, Donald Trump could show the same level of concern for the violent attack on the Jewish governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, that occurred on Passover this year that he seems to have for pro-Palestinian rallies. And it appears many American Jews have taken note of this hypocrisy. The very policies Trump has put in place to address antisemitism, most American Jews believe, are policies that could make antisemitism worse.

It is with these thoughts about policies that are meant to protect one group that can actually harm them that we open The Revealer’s June issue. The issue begins with “Authoritarian Christianity Targets Christians,” where Noah Berlatsky explores how Trump’s anti-immigration policies disproportionately target Christians, the overwhelming majority of migrants, and he reflects on what this says about the comingling of fascism with Christian nationalism. Then, in “The Machinery of Muslim Erasure in Modi’s India,” Anuj Behal explores how the bulldozing of Muslim homes in India has become a prominent symbol of rising Hindu nationalism. After that, the June issue looks at two aspects of activism and religion. In “Making Good Jewish Trouble,” Helene Meyers reviews Sandi DuBowski’s new film Sabbath Queen, a documentary about a queer rabbi, the descendant of 29 generations of Orthodox rabbis, who works to infuse Jewish practice with feminine wisdom and queer transgressions in order to build a more joyful and inclusive Judaism. Then, in “Abuelita Ecologies,” Catherine Newell reviews the book Falling in Love with Nature: The Values of Latinx Catholicism, which explores the everyday environmental practices among Latinx Catholics that don’t get the attention of mainstream environmental groups. And for the June issue’s final article, in “American Border Religion,” an excerpt from Heaven Has a Wall: Religion, Borders, and the Global United States, Elizabeth Shakman Hurd considers how the country’s deep investment in and fixation on national borders functions like religion.

The June issue also includes the newest episode of The Revealer podcast: “Borders, Immigration, and Religion.” Elizabeth Shakman Hurd joins us to discuss what legal rights anyone has within 100 miles of America’s national borders, how a country that promotes religious freedom also enacts a Muslim ban, how the United States’ support for Israel connects to religion, and what people should do to protect immigrants, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

As we get closer to the six-month mark of Donald Trump’s second presidency, we should take note of all the ways his policies make people’s lives worse. From American Jews’ concerns that Trump’s regime is increasing antisemitism to red state Republicans who are struggling to afford everyday items because of Trump’s trade wars, Trump and his policy architects seem determined to make life more difficult for most Americans. And as they do that, they, along with their conservative media collaborators, will blame immigrants, Joe Biden, and the Democratic Party. But the poll about American Jewish reactions to Trump shows us that many people are not fooled by such smoke and mirrors where vulnerable populations, be they immigrants or transgender Americans, get scapegoated for problems not of their doing. Let that serve as a reminder that many people in this country see things clearly. They are not fooled. And now they need to join with others to resist.

Yours,
Brett Krutzsch, Ph.D.

P.S. Every summer, we publish a combined July/August issue. Look for The Revealer’s Summer 2025 issue the first week of August!