Trump denies Netanyahu sought second endorsement before Israel vote
The president contradicted US officials who said the Israeli leader pushed for more public support after initial polls remained flat.
By Alejandro Ruiz ·
US President Donald Trump stated on Monday that he never discussed issuing a second endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This denial occurred as Trump boarded Air Force One for a campaign trip to Mississippi.
The statement conflicts with reports from US officials who previously told The Jerusalem Post that Netanyahu had made intensive efforts to secure additional support. Those officials said the push for a new statement followed the initial endorsement, which did not produce a noticeable shift in polling numbers.
When reporters asked the president directly if the prime minister had requested the extra backing, Trump replied, “I never spoke about it.” He maintained that he had already provided both endorsements he intended to give. Trump added that he believed Netanyahu had performed well as prime minister despite trying conditions.
Media reports from Axios indicated a more active campaign for support. The outlet reported that Netanyahu contacted Trump twice within a three-day period. According to those reports, the prime minister suggested specific wording for new endorsements and asked Trump to speak with Israeli journalists to emphasize his backing.
The Likud party, Netanyahu’s political group, rejected the reports that their leader had sought the additional endorsement from the White House.
During the same interview, Trump addressed Brazil’s recent presidential election results. Incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro in that race. Trump said he did not plan to take action on the outcome, stating, “I’m not running Brazil. I’m running the USA.”
Despite his hands-off approach to Brazilian politics, Trump criticized the mechanics of the election. He noted that he gets along well with Lula but felt the vote tabulation process had a strange appearance. He specifically pointed to a decision by Brazil’s Supreme Court to extend voting by two hours during the second round. That extension was originally granted to address disruptions to public transportation but caused political debate.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
