Ariana Mentzel (34), a Democrat from Beverly Hills, MI, leads college students in conversations about anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the Detroit Center for Civil Discourse. Named one of Detroit Jewish News’ “36 under 36,” she serves as the vice president Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Mentzel also served as former Oakland County Chair of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus. She runs a preschool Shabbat program at her temple.
We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect.
Are truthfulness and honesty key qualities for you when deciding which candidate to support?
I think truth is so important because how do you know if you can trust someone if they’re a perpetual liar? There’s a difference between making a mistake or changing your mind as opposed to lying to deceive, confuse, or worse. Trump is just one lie, one transgression, one lawsuit after the other. It’s exhausting. I wouldn’t trust him. I wouldn’t leave him alone at my house with my children or with my husband. And I wouldn’t trust him to make a business deal.
Do you think that the candidates you support are honest?
I think they’re honest and have the ability to admit when they’re wrong. Do I think they’ve never told a lie in their life? No. I’m sure they have. I also believe there can be two truths in some situations. Because of people’s different experiences and perspectives, they can each hold different truths. I know someone in border patrol who does an amazing job and sees people in the field helping children, helping families, doing all the good that can be done. They aren’t at the base where someone’s dying or being separated from their family. The truth is more complicated.