Donald Trump acknowledged that his decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was largely made for Evangelical Christians, a community that supports his supportive president.
The president spoke Monday at a championship rally in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, suggesting that “the evangelicals” were more enthusiastic about his decision than Jewish people.
‘And we have moved the capital of Israel to Jerusalem. That’s for the evangelicals, ‘Mr Trump told supporters at Wittman Regional Airport on Monday as Democrats prepared for the party’s first night of the party’s virtual convention.
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‘You know it’s great … the evangelists are more excited about it than Jewish people. That’s really good, it’s unbelievable, ”the president added, to loud applause from the crowd.
The president also visited Mankato, Minnesota on Monday, when he tried to counter attacks coming from the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
Mr. In December 2017, Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a decision that broke with decades of US foreign policy toward the region, provoking mixed reactions on Capitol Hill, and international condemnation.
The announcement of the move, which led to deadly protests on the ground in the West Bank, told Mr Trump that he was acting “in the best interests of the United States of America and striving for peace between Israel and the Palestinian. “
“This is a long-term step forward in advancing the peace process and working toward a lasting agreement,” the president said in a video message played at the May 2018 inauguration of the embassy in Jerusalem.
“Israel is a sovereign nation with the right, like any other sovereign nation, to determine its own capital. Recognizing this as a fact is a necessary condition for achieving peace, ‘he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the decision as a “historic landmark”. But Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas interpreted the movement as the US making a ‘declaration of resignation’ from its role in the peace process.
Donald Trump announces the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem
While Trump claimed his decision was motivated by peace, political commentators and analysts largely agreed that the president had one eye on the evangelical Christian community, many of whom supported him in the 2016 presidential race and whose votes are likely to play a key role in the November poll.
There is a small but not unintentional group of evangelical Christians in the US who believe that Trump was chosen by God to promote the kingdom of God on earth; Israel is a major problem for many of these voters.
Earlier this year, Joe Biden said he would hold the U.S. embassy in Israel should he be elected to the White House.
During Monday’s rally, the president also launched another broad-based debate on Obama’s legacy, before attacking Mr Biden, who will be formally nominated on the second night of the DNC, which continues Tuesday night, with speeches by former President Bill Clinton and New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The president tried to portray Mr. Biden as weak on China, an issue that is becoming increasingly important in the election as privacy concerns grow about social media company TikTok, and the telecom company, Huawei.
“He will get it hard on China, for sure,” Trump said in a sarcastic tone. “If we are not elected, China will have possession – mark my word. Well, I hope you can not test it, okay? China will, China will own the United States, “he added.
To a crowd of about 1,000 supporters, Mr. Trump, who has tried to position himself as the “jobs” candidate, said the faltering U.S. economy, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, would rebound if re-elected. .
He also reiterated false claims that the upcoming elections could be “rigged” because he had laid the groundwork for a potential defeat in two months’ time.
“The only way we will lose this election is if the elections are rigged,” he said.
Well behind in a host of big interviews – including in swing states he has to win – Tump travels to Yuma, Arizona, and Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
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