Leaders from Hasidic Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey met with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Thursday, in a gathering described as the first of its kind at the executive mansion in nearly 50 years.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who represents Hasidic communities in Rockland County, also attended the meeting. Representatives from Hasidic communities in Kiryas Joel, Lakewood, N.J., and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, were present.
"Today was an opportunity, for the first time in over 50 years, for the president of the United States to meet with the grand rabbis of the largest Hasidic sect, the visually, visibly Hasidic community, visibly Jewish people, such as myself," participant Yosef Stettner told reporters. "We had the opportunity to thank the president for everything that he does for the United States."
The meeting was arranged by the White House Faith Office. According to the official Satmar X account, Grand Rebbe Aaron Teitelbaum of Kiryas Joel recited a Jewish blessing reserved for kings in the Oval Office and presented a leather-embossed copy of the prayer to the president.
Trump has seen increased support among Jewish voters. According to Pew Research Center estimates, he won about 35% of the Jewish vote in 2024, a figure the Harvard Cooperative Election Study placed at 36%. This showing was the best among Jewish voters for a Republican nominee since the 1980s, with Trump focusing on combating antisemitism during Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Several key members of the Trump administration are Jewish, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also the president's son-in-law. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, converted to Judaism before marrying Kushner in 2009, and three of Trump's grandchildren are Jewish.
The Satmar movement adheres to the belief that Jews should not establish a sovereign state before the arrival of the Messiah. This tenet presents a potential point of contrast with Trump, who has often described himself as the most pro-Israel president in U.S. history.
Since returning to office, Trump has collaborated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.