US President Donald Trump says he “doesn’t trust anybody” in politics when asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while stopping short of committing to an endorsement ahead of Israel’s October 27 election
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he does not trust anyone in politics when asked whether he trusts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as speculation continues over Washington’s role in Israel’s October 27 election.“I don’t trust anybody, honestly,” Trump told right-wing cable news outlet Newsmax. “In the world of politics I don’t trust anybody.”Trump was also asked whether he planned to campaign for Netanyahu, who has frequently highlighted his close relationship with the US president during election campaigns.
“Well, they’d like me to be. Yeah, they’d like me to be,” Trump said, referring to Israeli officials who want him to get involved in Netanyahu’s re-election campaign.
He nevertheless described his relationship with the Israeli prime minister as “very good” and praised their “very successful… military partnership” against Iran.Trump has repeatedly declined to commit to endorsing Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli election, which comes amid heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme and the possibility of renewed military action.
Iran tensions add to election uncertainty
Netanyahu and Trump reportedly discussed the possibility of a joint US-Israeli operation against Iran amid Israeli concerns that Tehran was rebuilding its nuclear programme, according to an Axios report citing US and Israeli officials and other sources familiar with the discussions.
The report said Netanyahu had held several calls with Trump over two weeks about potentially resuming major combat operations against Iran. The discussions reportedly included possible strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities.However, the White House disputed the account, calling the claim that Trump and Netanyahu had discussed resuming the war “false”. A White House official said Trump had made clear that the US would not attack Iran before the American midterm elections.Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli prime minister remained in regular contact with Trump and senior US officials but did not comment on the substance of their conversations.With Israel scheduled to vote on October 27 and US midterm elections approaching, any renewed military campaign against Iran could carry political consequences for both leaders. The prospect of Iranian retaliation has also raised concerns about the potential disruption of Israel’s election process.