In an interview with Time magazine, President Donald Trump refrained from directly endorsing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's upcoming elections. Despite expressing support for Netanyahu, Trump emphasized his own popularity in Israel, claiming "99 percent" approval. When asked if the Israeli people should give Netanyahu another term, Trump stated, "I’m not involved in politics any more, except that we’re popular."
When pressed again about Netanyahu's potential re-election, Trump highlighted the United States' ongoing security support for Israel and referenced his decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during his presidency.
The interviewer noted that Trump seemed to be advocating for Netanyahu, to which Trump responded, "No, my primary thing – I do want to help them defend Israel." He reiterated concerns about Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, stating, "you can’t let crazy people have nuclear weapons."
Trump has met with Netanyahu at least seven times since January 2025, more than any other leader, and has publicly supported a pardon in Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial. However, Trump's recent statements come amid growing discontent within his Republican Party regarding his administration's policy towards Israel, particularly following perceptions that the Israeli government influenced his decision to engage in military action against Iran in February.
This conflict has contributed to rising petrol prices in the US and is seen as a vulnerability for Trump ahead of the midterm elections in November, which will determine control of the Senate and House of Representatives. Trump hosted Netanyahu at the White House in July, despite concerns regarding Israeli actions in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In the interview, Trump defended the war with Iran, suggesting he may seek to "annihilate" Iran and could resume military action after the midterm elections. He also addressed reports that Egypt and the United Arab Emirates had warned Netanyahu about impending Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, stating, "I think if he would have known, he would have done something about it."
Trump acknowledged that both he and Netanyahu have faced skepticism, saying, "people have written off Bibi many, many times, just like they’ve written off me many, many times." He concluded by stating he would not underestimate Netanyahu. When asked about potential changes to US security support if Gadi Eisenkot, a leading opposition candidate, were to win the October 27 vote, Trump said, "Well, I don’t know. I don’t hear bad things about him."