This interview is part of Moment’s Jewish Political Voices Project. To learn more about the project, click here. To see our other participants, click here. To see all posts from Adam, click here.
Age: 39
Occupation: Attorney
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Party Registration: Democratic
Jewish Denomination: Reform
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Current 2024 Vote: Joe Biden
Family: Divorced, one daughter, one son
News Sources: Milwaukee Journal, Milwaukee Sentinel, Milwaukee Business Journal, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Ynet, The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Drudge Report
Do the felony convictions diminish Trump? Do they help Biden? Do they change the trajectory of the 2024 race?
I guess I have no reason to think or believe it wasn’t fair. I don’t know how it’s gonna impact the election. I think in reading the media, you hear something saying more independents were less likely or less favorable for Trump because of it. But I honestly don’t know how big of an impact it’s gonna have. And I think the other side of it is waiting to see is what happens with sentencing and whatnot.
People are enjoying talking about his criminal record as a liability or anything like that. It’s just kind of taken for granted. I think everyone kind of says “Trump is Trump is Trump.” And so I don’t know that the fact that he has been indicted changes many people’s position in a lot of ways.
Are you concerned about reports of President Biden’s deteriorating condition?
I think it’s concerning to have someone that age as Commander in Chief, regardless of it being Biden or anyone. I think it is troubling to have someone at either of their ages work a 20 hour a day job. And I do think that there is more concern about how much actually Biden is doing versus his team around him.
What do you make of Biden’s ongoing response to the Gaza conflict?
I am more troubled with it as of late. I think at the beginning, he went off of kind of gut and instinct. And lately, it seems there’s conflict between that and politics. And I think it’s unfortunate that he’s allowed, or his people have allowed domestic politics to get in the way of the treatment of the situation internationally. I think influence from the left has maybe changed his tune or his actions with regards to Israel.
We’re talking out of both sides of our mouth, or emphasizing issues of Israel’s conduct in a way that you don’t see. As to Ukraine, for example, you know, we’re giving billions of dollars to Ukraine as well. And I don’t hear the same messaging on limiting civilian casualties and limiting innocent lives and the same rhetoric and restraint, because there isn’t a population within the US that they’re trying to appeal to. So I think it’s, it’s frustrating and troubling to see Israel used as a political football a bit and to try to appease certain elements within the Democratic Party through it. And it’s inconsistent with how the US treats other countries.