Lifelong Progressive Jewish Democrat Announces He Will Be Voting for Trump in Upcoming Election

(TJV) Shabbos Kestenbaum, a lifelong Democrat, and progressive Jewish activist made waves at the American Jewish Republican Coalition when he declared his support for former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

#ShabbosKestenbaum is on fire at the @RJC please watch! @ShabbosK https://t.co/rFloogquas

— The Jewish Voice (@TJVNEWS) September 6, 2024

Kestenbaum’s decision represents a major shift in his voting pattern, as he made clear he had not backed Trump in either the 2016 or 2020 elections.

However, he said that after witnessing what he described as neglect from the Democratic Party, he felt compelled to act.

Kestenbaum shared his experience at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), where he saw protesters waving Hezbollah flags and expressing solidarity with Hamas. He was critical of President Biden for not strongly condemning these protests, arguing that Biden’s response undermined the safety and respect of Jewish attendees.

Kestenbaum also revealed that he had reached out to prominent Democratic leaders like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Congressman Jerry Nadler, urging them to support efforts to combat anti-Semitism on college campuses. Despite his efforts, he said he felt dismissed and overlooked by those in positions of power.

Transcript:

“I’m not wanting to vote for a Republican this year. I’ve remained committed to changing the Democratic Party from within. I deliberately attended the Democratic National Convention with an open mind.

Although protesters outside of the DNC harassed Chicago police officers, waved Hezbollah flags, held signs reading “We stand with Hamas,” and threatened to beat up Jewish counterprotestors, President Biden chose not only to condemn this behavior but used his speech to announce that the protesters outside on the streets “have a point.”

The day after my speech at the Republican National Convention, I told the national media and Democratic Party officials that I and other progressive Jewish students fighting for their civil rights on college campuses would be honored to give a similar address at the Democratic Convention, where we would feel more at home. No offer was ever accepted.

Although Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was proud to tell the audience at the DNC how he stands up to hate, the bipartisan Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, which would alleviate concerns for Jewish students on college campuses, has yet to receive a floor vote in the Senate.

That is a direct result of Chuck Schumer and the Democratic leadership in the Senate. It will be difficult for me to forget House Judiciary Ranking Member Jerry Nadler falling asleep as I gave personal testimony of my experience with anti-Semitism.

During our Congressional Roundtable with the House Committee on Education, Ranking Member Democrat Bobby Scott similarly used the opportunity to criticize House Republicans for focusing on anti-Semitism. The overwhelming majority of Democrats on that committee did not show up.

It was painful to watch my own Democratic elected officials, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamal Bowman, and Ayanna Pressley—who I voted for in 2020—come to Harvard, Columbia, and other campuses to show solidarity with encampment leaders, the same leaders who followed me for three weeks on my way to class and recorded my movements.

I don’t want to say these things publicly because I want to work in a bipartisan fashion. But with the election in less than 60 days, I can’t remain silent.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, has not. I can count on one hand the Democrats who have done the same. I repeatedly encouraged the White House to meet with Jewish college students to discuss the crisis of anti-Semitism on our campus. I never received a response.

It is no secret that Harvard University, in its bid to deny Jewish students the equity and justice they deserve, is hoping for a Democratic takeover of the House so that Speaker Johnson’s investigation into anti-Semitism will cease.

Just this month, House Republicans sent letters to 10 high-profile colleges asking for specific details on what measures or policies are being implemented for Jewish students. Not one Democrat signed those letters.

The current administration, contrary to our urging, has not mobilized the Department of Justice, the National Guard, or the Department of Education in any meaningful way.

I did not want to say these things for 10 months because I hoped my party would change. I have tried to appear non-partisan or bipartisan.

In fact, contrary to the Trump campaign and RNC officials, I ad-libbed a significant portion of my speech at the RNC, removing any explicit endorsement of Donald Trump because I wanted to show the Democratic Party that they must support Jewish students.

However, elections are binary choices. In this zero-sum game of electoral politics, I cannot, for the first time since I started voting—even though I registered as a Democrat at 18—support the Democratic nominee for President.

Last week, the Trump campaign invited me and other college students to sit front row as President Trump not only condemned anti-Semitism but also outlined policies to combat it. I have repeatedly asked the Harris campaign to do the same. The Harris campaign has not offered any policies or invitations to Jewish students.

These common-sense policies include deporting non-American students who break American law, withholding federal funds, and denying accreditation to universities that violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

They also include a strong stance against anti-Semitic, anti-American indoctrination in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and an ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, including the return of American hostages at any cost.

None of these policies are part of the Harris campaign platform. This led to a confusing environment at the DNC, where many Jewish attendees, myself included, received contradictory information from campaign surrogates.

Would Harris rejoin the Iranian nuclear deal or not? How would she return American hostages when Hamas has rejected a ceasefire? What policies would she implement to combat anti-Semitism? We received no clear answers.

So, I’d like to close by speaking directly to the American people. I did not support Trump in 2016. I did not support Trump in 2020. I did not support Trump six months ago.

But let me tell you this: on October 7th, the United States and Israel began battling their enemies by air, sea, and land. We, Jewish Americans, have a different, yet equally important, battle. We will fight our adversaries in the streets, in the courts, in public opinion, in academia, and in Congress. And we will fight them at the ballot box.

The Democratic Party has taken the Jewish vote for granted for far too long. This November, I will be supporting, endorsing, and voting for President Trump. Let’s fight and let’s win this November.”