Despite praise and White House visits, Trump avoids endorsing Netanyahu

United States President Donald Trump has avoided directly endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview ahead of Israel’s upcoming elections, despite repeatedly heaping praise – and White House visits – on the Israeli prime minister.

Trump thrice avoided making an endorsement in an interview with Time magazine published on Thursday, instead pivoting to his own popularity in Israel and actions in support of Israel’s government.

The US president was initially asked if the “Israeli people should give Netanyahu another term?”

“Well, I can only say that I’m not involved in politics any more, except that we’re popular,” Trump said, claiming “99 percent” popularity in Israel.

When pressed a second time on whether Netanyahu should have another term, Trump pointed to Washington’s continued security support for Israel and his decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem during his first term.

The interviewer responded: “It seems like you’re doing a lot of work for him. Should he have another term?”

Trump replied: “No, my primary thing – I do want to help them defend Israel. My thing that I mention all the time is Iran cannot have a nuclear power because they are crazy and you can’t let crazy people have nuclear weapons.”

Trump has repeatedly hailed his relationship with Netanyahu throughout his second term, even as government officials have leaked accounts of private discord between the two leaders.

Trump has met with Netanyahu at least seven times since January 2025, more than any other leader, and has publicly pushed for a pardon in the Israeli leader’s ongoing corruption trial.

Still, the latest statements come as Trump and his Republican Party have contended with growing discontent with his administration’s policy towards Israel, particularly amid perceptions that the Israeli government influenced Trump to launch the US-Israel war against Iran in February.

The conflict, which has driven up petrol prices in the US, has become a key vulnerability ahead of the US midterm elections in November, which will determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the US Senate and House of Representatives for Trump’s final two years in office.

Nevertheless, Trump hosted Netanyahu most recently at the White House in July, flouting concerns over Israeli obstructions to ending the conflict, as well as to achieving a more lasting peace in Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

Speaking to Time magazine, Trump defended the war with Iran, saying he may still seek to “annihilate” Iran and could resume bombing after the midterm vote.

Trump also came to Netanyahu’s defence, batting away reports that Egypt and the United Arab Emirates had warned Netanyahu of the impending Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

“I think if he would have known, he would have done something about it,” he said.

He later acknowledged that “people have written off Bibi many, many times, just like they’ve written off me many, many times”, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

“I wouldn’t underestimate Bibi,” he added.

Trump was also asked if US security support would change if Gadi Eisenkot, whose opposition bloc has been leading in  Israeli polls, were to win the October 27 vote.

He replied: “Well, I don’t know. I don’t hear bad things about him.”