Washington — Trump Declines to Endorse Netanyahu in Time Interview

Three times. That is how often President Donald Trump was asked, and three times declined to say, whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should win another term, according to a Time magazine interview published Thursday and cited by Al Jazeera.

What did Trump actually say about Netanyahu?

Asked directly if "the Israeli people should give Netanyahu another term," Trump told Time, "Well, I can only say that I'm not involved in politics any more, except that we're popular," claiming 99 percent popularity in Israel, per the interview transcript cited by Al Jazeera. Pressed a second time, he cited continued US security support for Israel and his first-term decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. When the interviewer noted he was "doing a lot of work for" Netanyahu and asked again if he should have another term, Trump answered "No," then pivoted to Iran: "My thing that I mention all the time is Iran cannot have a nuclear power because they are crazy and you can't let crazy people have nuclear weapons."

How many times has Trump hosted Netanyahu?

The two leaders have met at least seven times since January 2025, more than Trump has met with any other foreign leader, Al Jazeera reports, including a White House visit in July. Trump has also publicly pushed for a pardon in Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial. Government officials have separately leaked accounts of private discord between the two men even as the public meetings continued, according to the outlet.

Why is Trump holding back an endorsement now?

The hedge comes as Trump and congressional Republicans face what Al Jazeera describes as growing discontent over the administration's Israel policy, including perceptions that Jerusalem helped push Washington into the US-Israel war against Iran in February. That conflict has driven up US gasoline prices and become a flagged vulnerability ahead of the November midterm elections, which will decide control of the Senate and House for the remainder of Trump's term, per the report.

What is Netanyahu's domestic political situation?

The Time interview ran ahead of Israel's upcoming elections, with Netanyahu facing a corruption trial and renewed scrutiny over reported intelligence warnings issued before the October 7 attacks — an issue Trump defended him on during the same interview, Al Jazeera notes, without detailing the specific warnings.

Glossary

Midterm elections: US congressional elections held roughly halfway through a president's four-year term — in this case, November 2026 — that determine partisan control of the Senate and House. October 7 warnings: Reported intelligence alerts issued before the October 7 attacks that have become a point of political attack on Netanyahu domestically, referenced in the Time interview per Al Jazeera's report.

Trump's three-part dodge, paired with continued praise and access, leaves the practical question — does Washington want Netanyahu to stay in office — formally unanswered on the record, even as the underlying relationship, measured in meeting count and policy support, remains unchanged.