Doug Emhoff says wife Kamala Harris supports Israel 'in her soul' and passes gut-check for Jewish priorities

In an 11th-hour pitch to Jewish voters, second gentleman Doug Emhoff told a crowd in Pennsylvania that his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, "feels it in her gut" what it means to support Israel. 

"Let me be direct and answer the question that Jews have asked for generations. Yes, she feels it in her gut. Kamala feels it, as we say, in her kishkes," Emhoff said during an address in Pittsburgh.

The so-called gut test came up during the days of former President Barack Obama, when some Jews questioned how deep his support for Israel was. 

"Her commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering. Not just because of what she said publicly, though she has said through her entire career, consistently, but also by what she does and says when it's just us," Emhoff said. 

The address was timed to coincide with the six-year anniversary of the devastating shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, which was last Sunday. Both Harris and former President Donald Trump have been courting Jewish voters unsettled by the conflict in the Middle East.

Historically, the religious voting bloc has favored Democrats. About 7 in 10 voted for President Biden in 2020. A Pew Research poll from last month put their support for Harris at over two-thirds. 

"I know it's in her soul. I know she feels what you and I and Jews across America are feeling today. She gets it. And to tell you the truth, it's not because she married a nice Jewish boy," Emhoff said.