A clear majority of American Jews disapprove of President Donald Trump’s performance in office, including his handling of antisemitism, according to a new survey released on Friday. The poll, conducted by the Mellman Group for the Jewish Electorate Institute, found that 72 percent of American Jewish respondents disapprove of the president’s performance, while 24 percent said they approve. A majority—67 percent—reported that they “strongly disapprove,” compared with 16 percent who “strongly approve.” The survey also found that 56 percent of American Jews disapprove of how Trump has addressed antisemitism, compared with 31 percent who approve. Nearly half of respondents, 49 percent, said they “strongly disapprove” of the president’s efforts to combat antisemitic hatred, while 24 percent said they “strongly approve.” The survey results also reflected a sharp divide among American Jews by religious affiliation. A majority of Orthodox Jewish respondents expressed support for the administration’s approach to combating antisemitism, while majorities of Reform and unaffiliated Jews disapproved of the White House’s efforts. Beyond concerns about antisemitism, the poll highlighted strong opposition among American Jews to Trump’s immigration policies. About 71 percent of respondents said they oppose an executive order issued by the administration allowing federal agencies to deport certain immigrants without a legal hearing; 23 percent said they supported the policy. The order has been used to detain non-citizen activists accused of supporting Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, during campus demonstrations, including at Columbia University. Nonetheless, a March poll conducted by Harvard CAPS/Harris found that about two-thirds of Americans support the deportation of foreign students who express support for designated terrorist groups. American Jews have historically leaned Democratic in presidential elections, consistently favoring Democratic nominees over their Republican counterparts by wide margins. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)