In a series of remarks on Wednesday, former US President Donald Trump claimed that his popularity in Israel was so high that he could potentially contend for the position of Prime Minister there. He made these assertions while discussing the ongoing tensions with Iran and also took the opportunity to commend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The comments were shared in videos posted on X, capturing Trump’s responses to reporters’ questions regarding Netanyahu and Israel’s stance on Iran.
Trump expressed confidence in Netanyahu, saying, “He’s fine. He’ll do whatever I want him to do. He’s a very good man,” and described the Israeli leader as a “great guy” and “wartime prime minister.” Trump also suggested that Netanyahu was not receiving fair treatment within Israel, hinting at challenges in the country’s political landscape.
Turning the focus to his own standing in Israel, Trump humorously suggested he might run for office there, claiming, “I’m right now at 99% in Israel. I could run for prime minister.” He mentioned a poll that allegedly showed him at that high approval rating and joked about a future political career in Israel after his current endeavors.
The context of these remarks was the advancement of a bill by Netanyahu’s ruling coalition in the Israeli parliament, a move that could lead to its dissolution and possibly trigger new elections. As these political developments unfolded in Israel, Trump also addressed the escalating tensions with Iran, indicating that the United States was nearing a critical juncture. He commented, “We’re in the final stages of Iran. We’ll see what happens,” and mentioned potential severe actions if a deal was not reached, though he emphasized that there was no rush.
Trump reportedly claimed that Iran’s military capacities had already been significantly diminished, warning that future military actions could be more intense if Tehran did not engage in negotiations. Despite the heightened tensions, there are ongoing diplomatic discussions between Washington and Tehran, hinting at the possibility of a peaceful resolution.