Former cable news host Joy Reid says she is prepared to withhold her support from the Democratic Party unless it fundamentally changes its relationship with Israel, marking a dramatic escalation in her criticism of both the party establishment and America’s longtime Middle East ally.
Reid made the remarks during a June 18 interview with Vanity Fair writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, where the two discussed the Democratic Party, the war in Gaza, and the political fallout surrounding former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign.
During the conversation, Reid expressed frustration with what she described as unwavering support for Israel from both major political parties.
“To me, I, going forward, cannot vote for a Democrat who does not pledge to end this relationship,” Reid said. “This relationship needs to end.”
She went on to describe Israel as “a nuclear armed expansionist power” and argued that the country no longer deserves American financial support.
“They don’t need our money, and they definitely won’t get my vote,” Reid said.
Her comments came moments after she criticized Democrats for maintaining close ties with Israel. Reid argued that the party has become as committed to supporting Israel as Republicans, regardless of the actions taken by the Israeli government.
The discussion centered in part on a recent article by Coates examining whether Kamala Harris’s handling of the conflict in Gaza may have contributed to her defeat against President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
Coates said he was uncertain whether a more forceful anti-Israel stance would have changed the outcome of the race. However, he suggested Harris could have at least lost “with honor” had she taken the position he preferred.
For Reid, the conversation reflected what appears to be a continuing break with a political party she once enthusiastically supported.
In a 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Reid described herself as a “lifelong Democrat.” Years later, in a 2024 TikTok video, she said she would vote for then-President Joe Biden even if he were “in a coma.” In that same clip, she compared President Trump to Adolf Hitler.
But signs of frustration with Democratic leadership had already begun to emerge. Last year, Reid said she was “barely hanging on” as a supporter of the party. Her latest comments suggest that whatever patience remained may now be gone.
The dispute highlights a growing divide within Democratic politics over Israel and the broader conflict in the Middle East. While party leaders have generally maintained support for the U.S.-Israel alliance, polling suggests that many Democratic voters have become increasingly critical of Israel in recent years.
According to a Pew survey conducted earlier this year, 80 percent of Democrats hold an unfavorable view of Israel. That figure represents a substantial increase from 53 percent in 2022.
Reid pointed to what she sees as the difficulty of changing the Democratic Party’s position on the issue. She suggested that it may take an outsider figure to challenge the party establishment and force a major realignment.
Specifically, Reid referenced New York City mayor and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, arguing that someone with his political profile could potentially help overturn the existing party structure and push Democrats toward ending ties with Israel.
Her remarks underscore the growing tensions within the Democratic coalition as debates over foreign policy, military conflicts, and America’s role overseas continue to divide activists, voters, and party leaders. For Reid, support for Israel has become a political litmus test—one she says Democrats must address if they hope to earn her vote in the future.
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