Since the U.S. and Iran signed the MOU, or memorandum of understanding, many Jewish Trumpians have put the blame on one person who they say is running the country: Vice President J.D. Vance. Of course, this is absurd, since Donald Trump is the president and is fully in control. Vance does what he is told.
They have also attacked Vance’s comments about Israel and his friendship with Tucker Carlson. However, there was silence concerning Trump’s attacking Netanyahu while praising the Iranian leadership. These Trumpians are still in denial and are looking for any reason, no matter how ridiculous it seems, to justify their belief in Trump being the greatest president Israel has ever had. No one likes to admit that they misjudged someone whom they admire.
Nevertheless, Vance’s comments are important in another area. The comments and the Republican voter response to them are an indication that Israel-bashing is bipartisan. Vance is the front-runner in the 2028 Republican primary for president with these positions.
Now to my main topic. It was the first primary during the Trump presidency. The Democratic base in some locations was upset with how the administration was managing immigration. The base felt that the Trump administration was engaging in heavy-handed tactics. Also, there was frustration that their party leadership and those in Congress were not pushing hard enough against the president. During this time, in a New York congressional Democratic primary, a young female Democrat with the support of the DSA, Democratic Socialists of America, defeated a male incumbent who was older and had a prominent position in the Democratic Party apparatus in the House of Representatives. The older Democrat was a staunch supporter of Israel.
She was not the only one to win. There were three other progressive women who won their seats. They are anti-Israel and, according to many, antisemitic as well. The reaction of the media and many progressives was that this was a trend toward taking over the Democratic Party. The Republican Party made them the poster children of the new Democratic Party.
This may sound like 2026 news, but it was the 2018 election when the so-called Squad won. In that primary, AOC defeated Representative Joseph Crowley, who was in line for a prominent position within the Democratic establishment. The other winners included Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib. Then came Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush. Both Bush and Bowman later lost a primary. The other three are marginalized. AOC is the only one from the group who has been successful. That is because she distanced herself from them.
It was not only the 2018 election, but also the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement, which made it seem that it was the progressives’ time to take over the Democratic Party. The 2020 Democratic presidential debate seemed like a test of who could go further to the left. However, Biden beat Sanders to be the party’s nominee for president, which showed that the left was not invincible. Then came a backlash to failed immigration policies and plans like defund the police that were pushed by progressives. The country turned against the progressives and their policies, which led to Republicans taking the House, Senate, and presidency. Black Lives Matter has faded into history.
The leadership led by House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries understands this and correctly minimizes the results of the 2026 New York Democratic primary. A bunch of affluent, college-educated whites in a low-turnout primary do not speak for the party nationwide.
In one respect, it is a good thing that Darializa Avila Chevalier won. She is so extreme that her being anti-Israel is not a detriment. She would be dangerous if she had mainstream policies in other areas while being anti-Israel. Also, she defeated Adriano Espaillat, the head of the House Hispanic Caucus, which is not going to endear the progressives to Hispanics.
The bottom line is that we are not witnessing a progressive takeover in the Democratic Party. Right now, they are strong in New York City. Despite what many New Yorkers believe, our city is not representative of the country. Progressives have gone too far before and ended up flaming out. I expect it to happen again. The more these extremists talk, the better it is for Israel and for America.
Hopefully, the same will happen to J.D. Vance’s presidential aspirations. He will also flame out, and a traditional Republican like Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be the candidate. Unfortunately, right now, it does not look too likely.
Warren S. Hecht is a local attorney. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.