'I don't trust anybody': Trump declines to endorse Netanyahu in upcoming election race

Jerusalem Post/Israel Election 2026Trump also discussed his popularity among Israelis, claiming that "The people of Israel, they say if I ran for prime minister, I'd get 99% of them."Follow us on GoogleUS President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025.(photo credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST)OCTOBER 16, 2026 08:53US President Donald Trump refused to endorse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reelection campaign during a Thursday interview with Newsmax, despite claiming that "they" would like him involved in the upcoming Knesset elections."They'd like me to be," he said, adding, "I don't trust anybody, honestly. I don't trust anybody. In the world of politics, I don't trust anybody."Trump also discussed his popularity among Israelis, claiming that "The people of Israel, they say if I ran for prime minister, I'd get 99% of them."Israel and the United States had had a very successful military partnership, Trump said, adding that he and Netanyahu had also had "a very good relationship."Trump stays neutral towards Netanyahu reelectionThis is not the first time that Trump has declined to explicitly endorse Netanyahu in his reelection campaign.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a reception marking the opening of the Colombian Embassy in Jerusalem, held at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, October 14, 2026. (credit: Chaim Goldberg FLASH90)When asked by reporters on Tuesday whether he would endorse a candidate, Trump said that "We haven't even thought about it," and that "I may be. I may be doing something."Earlier this month, during an interview with Time Magazine, Trump also hedged on his support for Netanyahu, saying that while "people have written off Bibi many, many times, just like they've written off me many, many times," he was "not involved in politics anymore."Trump says he does not 'hear bad things' about EisenkotDuring that interview, Trump also said that he doesn't "hear bad things" about Gadi Eisenkot, one of Netanyahu's chief competitors in the upcoming election.However, in September, Trump shared a Channel 13 election poll which projected Netanyahu's bloc as winning 54 seats in the Knesset.According to the poll, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar led with 22 seats, while Netanyahu’s Likud fell to a low of 18.Jerusalem Post Staff and Idan Kweller contributed to this report.Follow us on Google