Overview
- On Wednesday May 20, President Trump told reporters he could “run for prime minister” in Israel and said a poll showed him at 99% approval there.
- News outlets were unable to verify the poll Trump cited and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
- Trump described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “wartime prime minister,” said Netanyahu would “do whatever I want him to do,” and said he thought Netanyahu was being treated unfairly in Israel.
- The remarks follow recent Trump statements about considering strikes on Iran and come as U.S.-Iran tensions remain high, raising questions about how presidential rhetoric may affect diplomacy and military signaling.
- Israeli lawmakers have advanced a bill that could dissolve parliament and trigger new elections, a domestic political shift that provides context for Trump’s comments and could influence Israeli responses to U.S. pressure.