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Steven Windmueller
Where Jews and Judaism Meet the Political Road!

Insights into the Trump Political Revolution: Implications for American Jewry

We are likely to experience the beginnings of a second American revolution on Monday, January 20th.  Donald Trump is more than merely a politician; in fact, he is in so many ways a counter-cultural symbol of the political world that he is about to inherit again.

His Presidency will reflect a particular image of what America at an earlier iteration represented.  His appeal is centered around this mystical quest seeking to reclaim elements of our nation’s past. In some measure his election in 2024, unlike his first tenure of service, is far more an ideological revolution for change. 

His rise to power must be seen as critique on American domestic liberal policies and assumptions, just as it signals a fundamental reset on US foreign policy assumptions and priorities. Over the course of nearly 250 years, few presidential figures have assumed this office with such a transformational agenda, driven by a set of ideas, designed to redefine the American story.

This moment involves a redefinition of the relationship of the citizen to the state, as it focuses more specifically on the power and place of the apparatus of governance. We will experience a shift in the balance of power and the expanded authority of the executive. Driven to generate the change that the Trumpian Revolution has set out to achieve, the 47th President will realign these power relationships.

This new moment in time will be particularly challenging as it will be transformative for traditional liberals and for many mainstream voters, as the President-Elect has defined, over the course of his campaign, the contours of what this regime change will represent.

In five specific areas we can envision aspects of this new political reality:

Individual Standing:  In connection with immigration, non-citizens and more directly, illegal residents, will confront the realities of being identified as the other.  With regard to gender and sexual orientation, this administration will seek to alter and limit the choices and rights of LGBTQ individuals. Even the abortion issue will likely evoke a new round of battleground issues in connection with both possible federal and state legislative initiatives and court rulings.

Economic and Business Priorities:  There will be a conscious focus on strengthening American businesses and industries and a corresponding effort to attract foreign investors into this nation’s economy. As with traditional conservative regimes, attention will be given to generating economic incentives and tax advantages to the American wealth class and other parts of the investment community that will be rewarded for benefitting and strengthening the economic infrastructure of this nation.  The role and place of oligarchical leadership is redefining the power equation of the American Presidency.

Religious Liberty:  There will be a conscious focus on repositioning the place and role of religious expression and engagement. We will experience the undoing of the “wall” of church-state separation. We will see the celebration of a Judeo-Christian  framework designed to promote the value-added of religion in society.

Nationalism:  In an array of different forms, we will experience the reassertion of American patriotism and pride. Beyond the economic policy of “buy American,” we will be exposed to an expansive demonstration of militarism and various cultural and symbolic artifacts affirming Americanism, with the celebration of the 250th anniversary of this nation serving as the centerpiece of this return to national identity.

Foreign Policy: The construct and management of US foreign relations will undergo a major realignment as nationalism and militarism will frame the end product of our global connections and commitments. Traditional alliances and relationships are likely to either come undone or be recalculated, designed to serve American economic and political objectives. The “America-First” agenda will determine the contours of this power construct.

Moving Forward: The Jewish Story Lines:

As I have previously written, for American Jews there will be the tale of two stories, as this administration takes office.

For “Jewish Trumpers” this will be their affirmation moment, as they embrace and support this administration. Among his appointees, one can identify a number of his high profile Jewish supporters. The connection lines between this White House and the Jewish community will run through a new alignment of Jewish Republican leadership, fundamentally reshaping the power equation that has historically defined the communal system and this nation’s political apparatus. A central part of this new Jewish political coalition will involve the growing clout and power of American Orthodoxy.

More directly, in connection with the US-Israel relationship, we will see the political “reconnect” between the Prime Minister and the President, as we anticipate the expansion of the Abrahamic Accords to include Saudi Arabia among others and a shared alignment between Jerusalem and Washington in managing how best to deal with the emerging Iranian nuclear threat, a joint initiative regarding the future of Gaza, and a shared understanding associated with Israel’s territorial and settlements policies and options.

With the reassertion of the place of religion within the national narrative, we will see a number of initiatives to accelerate school vouchers, expand school choice options, and provide other forms of federal assistance to parochial, charter and private school programs, all likely to benefit day schools and their families.

For those Jews who opposed the Trump Presidency, they are likely to play the role of the “loyal opposition” as they prioritize their particular battles and policy wars. As I noted in my prior reflections, Jewish liberalism as a set of political ideas will itself need to be recalibrated in light of this election. Are we likely to see the mobilization of liberal activists around immigration, abortion, and gender policies? Or will we see a more muted response this time around to elements of this second term Trump agenda, considering the limited points of political access that Democrats have at this time?

No doubt, what we will see early on involves the active engagement of Jewish Democrats in reshaping both their party’s agenda and leadership, as they prepare for the 2026 mid-term election and galvanize their resources in preparation for the presidential contest four years from now.

Reflections:

The political outcomes we have experienced point to the deep divisions that today define America’s politics in general, but more directly, impact our Jewish community. In the aftermath of these political wars, we find a divided American Jewish polity, further contributing to the undoing a shared policy agenda on behalf of our communal system.  These divisions are centered around Israel, the fight against hate and anti-Semitism, and in connection with broader social and public policy concerns that have traditionally define American Jewish liberal practice.

About the Author
Steven Windmueller, Ph.D. is an Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Service at the Jack H. Skirball Campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. Prior to coming to HUC, Dr.Windmueller served for ten years as the JCRC Director of the LA Jewish Federation. Between 1973-1985, he was the director of the Greater Albany Jewish Federation (now the Federation of Northeastern New York). He began his career on the staff of the American Jewish Committtee. The author of four books and numerous articles, Steven Windmueller focuses his research and writings on Jewish political behavior, communal trends, and contemporary anti-Semitism.