On Wednesday, President Trump held a largely maskless indoor Hanukkah Party at the White House. Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday celebrating the Maccabean revolt against Greek rule and their subsequent rededication of the Second Temple.
However, it has been folded into the larger American holiday season due to its proximity to Christmas. And so parties like these, where a non-Jewish president pays homage to the religious observances of their Jewish constituents, are not uncommon in modern history.
Much like his other recent opportunities to make public statements, President Trump used the White House Hanukkah Party to talk about the election, saying:
"The Jewish people have endured a lot over the centuries but always overcame the most impossible situations. Miracles are possible."
"Maybe we'll see one in the near future. Yes, we're not giving up, and we'll keep fighting to ensure four more years."
A video of his remarks can be seen in the Tweet below.
The President went on to assert:
"If people, if certain very important people, if they have wisdom and if they have courage, we are going to win this election."
Jewish Twitter had a field day.
Others were mortified by the flouting of COVID restrictions.
Others were appalled by his continued assault on the electoral results.
77% of Jewish voters voted for President-elect Biden.
So maybe next year's Hanukkah party will have a more festive mood.
