Key takeaways:
- Trump gave Netanyahu his “Complete and Total Endorsement” in a Truth Social post on Sunday.
- Israel’s Oct. 27 vote is its first national election since the 2023 Hamas attack.
- Trump argued that it was only a matter of time before Iran would have attacked the United States and Israel.
President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, giving his longtime ally a boost nine days before an election expected to be close. Trump had withheld his support for months as the leaders’ Middle East strategies diverged, CBS News reported.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump gave Netanyahu his “Complete and Total Endorsement,” calling him “a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
“Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself,” Trump wrote. “BIBI NETANYAHU WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”
Netanyahu thanked Trump on X for his “tremendous support and the joint work,” adding, “Together we will complete the mission!” Netanyahu’s Likud Party also released a 35-second video featuring the two leaders together and Trump praising the prime minister, CBS News reported.
Israelis are scheduled to vote on Oct. 27 in their first national election since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Netanyahu’s Likud Party and its far-right coalition face an opposition bloc led by Yashar party head Gadi Eisenkot, according to Al Jazeera. Netanyahu’s government faces domestic criticism over security failures and international criticism over its treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, CBS News reported.
Trump remains popular in Israel, but the effect of his endorsement on the election is unclear. CBS News reported that many Israelis, including leading commentators, have expressed disappointment with the inconclusive outcome of the war with Iran and a Trump ceasefire proposal that fell short of key Israeli goals.
The two leaders jointly launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28. They have also had disagreements over its course, despite their close alliance and joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in 2025. Al Jazeera reported that they had met more than half a dozen times since January 2025, but had also differed over other conflicts. In June, Trump acknowledged calling Netanyahu “f***ing crazy” during a phone conversation about Israeli attacks on Lebanon, the outlet reported.
Earlier this month, Trump declined to endorse Netanyahu when repeatedly asked about his performance in a Time magazine interview, according to Al Jazeera. His endorsement on Sunday tied support for Netanyahu to his position on Iran. Trump argued that it was only a matter of time before Iran would have attacked both the United States and Israel. He said Iran had been “systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially” and warned that the U.S. and Israel would “soon finish the job” unless Iran changed course quickly.
“If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so,” Trump wrote.
The war has also become a domestic issue for Trump ahead of U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3. Al Jazeera reported that a Pew Research Center poll this month found roughly two-thirds of U.S. voters disapproved of his handling of the war, which has raised fuel prices and concerns about military stockpiles.
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