Watch President Trump tell reporters, “I might run for Prime Minister of Israel.”
President Donald Trump said he might “run for prime minister of Israel” in response to a reporter’s question about Natenyahu and the Iranian attack.
President Donald Trump has said he could become Israel’s next prime minister.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 20, the president said he “may run for prime minister” in Israel, where he is very popular.
“So maybe after I do this, I’ll go to Israel and run for prime minister,” Trump said. “There was a poll this morning. It was 99%, so that was good.”
It’s not clear what polls Trump was referring to, and the White House did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
Benjamin Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel, having served multiple terms since 1996. Mr. Trump is an ardent supporter of Mr. Netanyahu, as the United States and Israel are allies in the ongoing war against Iran.
President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I’ll do whatever I want”
Asked whether he had discussed the current state of the Iran war with Netanyahu, Trump said: “He’s fine. He’s a very, very good man. He’ll do anything I want. And he’s a great man. To me, he’s a great man.”
The May 20 remarks came a day after the president said he was considering “another major blow against Iran” and two days after he said he was postponing a potential attack following progress in a deal to end the conflict.
“Remember,[Prime Minister Netanyahu]was a wartime prime minister. In my opinion, he is not treated well in Israel…But no, he is a wartime prime minister and I don’t think they treat him well,” Trump added.
Contributors: USA TODAY’s Christopher Cann, Andrea Riquier, Joey Garrison and Michael Loria
