Trump Denies Netanyahu Requested Extra Endorsements Ahead of Elections

US President Donald Trump denied on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked him for additional endorsements ahead of the Israeli elections. When asked whether Netanyahu urged him to issue recent statements of support, Trump replied that they had never discussed the matter, while praising the Israeli leader for performing very well under difficult conditions.

Trump's remarks followed a media report claiming that Netanyahu had reached out twice within three days to request heightened public backing ahead of the vote for the 26th Knesset. According to the reports, the Prime Minister allegedly suggested phrasing for endorsement statements and proposed giving an interview to Israeli media to reinforce support. The Likud party firmly denied the allegations, stating that Netanyahu never requested electoral backing from the US president.

Back-to-Back Endorsements

On October 18, Trump publicly endorsed Netanyahu, praising his leadership and their joint cooperation regarding Iran. Days later, the US president issued another statement explicitly calling on the Israeli public to vote for Netanyahu to finish the work they started together, highlighting their strong alliance.

Meanwhile, the presidential endorsement has sparked discussions regarding potential foreign influence on the government formation process. Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that external figures would not affect his judgment, emphasizing that his decision on granting the mandate will depend solely on a candidate's coalition-building capabilities.