United States President Donald Trump has endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27, a contest described as close. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said he was giving Netanyahu his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
The backing comes nine days before the vote and after speculation that Trump might not endorse the Israeli leader at all. Earlier this month, in an interview with Time magazine, he was repeatedly asked about Netanyahu’s job performance and did not endorse him, instead turning to his own popularity and security in the Middle East.
Friction between the two leaders
Trump and Netanyahu have met more than half a dozen times since January 2025, but reports have pointed to disagreements over the war against Iran and other conflicts. In June, Trump acknowledged that he had berated Netanyahu in a phone call, expressing frustration over Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.
According to reports, Trump had asked Netanyahu not to take further action in Lebanon, apparently in an effort to preserve a short-lived April ceasefire with Iran.
War with Iran and pressure at home
The two leaders jointly launched the war against Iran on February 28. The conflict has cost Trump domestic support, and it has disrupted global oil and gas supplies with no clear end in sight.
A Pew Research Center poll found this month that roughly two-thirds of US voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war. The conflict has driven up consumer fuel prices and raised concerns about draining military stockpiles. Trump’s Republican Party faces a critical midterm election on November 3 that will determine whether it keeps control of Congress, along with other key state and local offices.
Trump’s argument and Israel’s election race
In his endorsement, Trump said it was only a matter of time before Iran would have attacked both the United States and Israel. He argued that the war had left Iran “systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially,” and warned that unless Tehran changed its ways rapidly, the US would “soon finish the job.”
Trump also wrote that if Israel had the wrong leader, “which would be anyone other than Bibi,” America would have to do the work itself, adding that he was not inclined to do so. He praised Netanyahu as “Strong, Brave, and Brilliant” in the face of tremendous opposition, including from within Israel itself.
Experts have speculated that Trump’s earlier reluctance to back Netanyahu may have reflected public perception that Israel had pushed the United States into the war. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s Likud Party and its far-right coalition face the prospect of losing the October contest to an opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party.
