Jewish voter who ditched Democratic Party after Oct. 7 slams VP Harris for defending anti-Israel protesters
Jewish ex-Democrat Melissa Chapman criticized the party for its response to the Israel-Hamas war and antisemitism unfolding on college campuses across the United States.
A Jewish voter who left the Democratic Party in the aftermath of Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel said Wednesday that her feeling of abandonment has been exacerbated by Vice President Kamala Harris voicing solidarity with anti-Israel protesters.
"They are showing exactly what the human emotion should be, as a response to Gaza," Harris told The Nation magazine in an article published Monday. "There are things some of the protesters are saying that I absolutely reject, so I don’t mean to wholesale endorse their points. But we have to navigate it. I understand the emotion behind it."
Ex-Democrat Melissa Chapman told "Fox & Friends" that she continues to feel "completely abandoned" by the left following the vice president's comments.
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"The Democratic Party that we knew from 2020 is no longer the Democratic Party now. It's more like a socialist party, and it's changing. I feel Republicans are like old school liberal Democrats… so, for me, the Republicans are the only way to go at this point," she told Lawrence Jones.
"The VP is saying that… she feels bad for the people in Gaza. She puts no blame on Hamas, zero blame on Hamas."
Chapman identified herself as a formerly progressive voter, supportive of LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter. Because of those beliefs, Democrats appealed to her most.
"I was the perfect Democrat, I did everything right… As soon as October 7th happened, I was completely abandoned by every single group that I supported," she said.
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"There are five living American hostages… their names should be on the lips of every single person. Brittney Griner, when she was arrested, and she was in jail, her name was on the lips of every American… There are American citizens who have been held hostage in Gaza by a terrorist organization, and the administration has done nothing about anything that's been happening since October 7."
The Israel-Hamas War has placed many prominent Democrats – including President Biden – in a predicament with key demographics that have consistently voted blue. Many pro-Palestinian progressives, for instance, have shifted their support from Biden over their discontent with providing aid for Israel.
Protesters even attempted to disturb this year's State of the Union, taking to the streets of Washington, D.C. One was seen holding up a sign reading, "Biden's legacy is genocide."
On the contrary, some Jewish voters – also a longstanding Democratic voting bloc – have begun to rethink their support for the party, with those like Chapman disillusioned with the Democrats' response to war in the Middle East and antisemitism unfolding domestically.
"If you're an American, you should be upset. Forget about being Jewish as an American. The fact that they're burning flags in the streets, and this is what she's [Harris is] talking about. You should be talking about the fact that people are burning American flags in the streets. It's insulting."
Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.