Trump claims his endorsement could result in Netanyahu winning Israel elections as exit polls indicate tight race

President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that his endorsement of Benjamin Netanyahu had helped the Israel Prime Minister in the elections. President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that his endorsement of Benjamin Netanyahu had helped the Israel Prime Minister in the nation's elections. Trump's post comes even as Netanyahu pitched for an alliance with the US in his first reactions after exit polls indicated a tight race with primary contender Gadi Eisenkot. President Donald Trump claims his endorsement might help Benjamin Netanyahu win Israel elections. (AP Photo)Trump wrote “When President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned, and now, rather than a decisive defeat for a Great Prime Minister, it looks like a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN for Netanyahu. It all took place AFTER the Endorsement by President Trump, who only wants what is good for the Middle East, Israel, and the United States of America!”, and cited one ‘Irving C. Schwartz’. He claimed that his endorsement had turned the “whole tide” and Netanyahu might even win. As per the latest update, with over 70% votes counted, Netanyahu's party maintains a slight lead over Eisenkot's bloc, even as the Arab parties have gained some ground.What Netanyahu said about Trump Deep DiveIn his first reaction after the exit polls, Netanyahu had pitched Trump as an ally and noted that with him, Israel had a "once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity" to eliminate the Iranian threat. Also Read | Once an ally of Netanyahu, now seeking to oust him: Naftali Bennett’s return to Israeli politicsHis remarks come against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict with Tehran which began when the US and Israel decided to jointly carry out strikes across Iran in February 2026. Ahead of the Israeli elections Trump had endorsed Netanyahu, saying “Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister, we have to finish the job that we started!”. Netanyahu too touted this ahead of polling saying "US President Donald Trump has come with a friendship that has never existed before between an Israeli prime minister ‌and an American president. And it is doubtful we will ever have such a friendly president again. He has another two years, and he says he is calling on you to vote for me."Identity of Irving C. Schwartz baffles social mediaThe identity of ‘Irving C. Schwartz’ who Trump cited for the post remains unknown. Several people on social media wondered who it might be but there's no known journalist or political commentator by that name. “For those wondering: Irving Schwartz is just an anonymous poster he quoted,” one said. Another asked “Who is Irving C. Schwartz?”. Yet another said “Irving c schwartz doing a lot of heavy lifting here tbh.”(With Reuters inputs) Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More