Trump and Vance Host Hasidic Leaders in First Oval Office Meeting in Over 50 Years
Hasidic leaders from New York and New Jersey met Donald Trump and JD Vance at the White House, the first such Oval Office gathering in more than five decades.
On Thursday, a group of Hasidic Jewish leaders from New York and New Jersey gathered in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, marking the first such encounter since 1979. The delegation, which included representatives from Kiryas Joel, Lakewood, and Williamsburg, was joined by Rep. Mike Lawler, who serves large Orthodox constituencies in Rockland County. Organized by the White House Faith Office under Paula White-Cain, the meeting featured Grand Rebbe Aaron Teitelbaum reciting a rare royal blessing and presenting a leather-embossed prayer to Trump.
Attendees thanked the president for his stance against antisemitism amid the Gaza conflict, noting his relatively strong support among Jewish voters in the 2024 election. The Satmar movement’s theological opposition to a Jewish state adds nuance to the outreach, while several members of the administration, including Jared Kushner and Howard Lutnick, are themselves Jewish. The encounter underscores the administration’s effort to solidify ties with a key religious constituency.
Why it matters
The meeting signals the administration’s attempt to court a traditionally insular Jewish bloc ahead of future elections.
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