Trump endorses Netanyahu ahead of Israel's 27 October national election

US President Donald Trump endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election on Sunday, 18 October 2026.

Trump made the endorsement in a social media post. The Hindu identified the platform as Truth Social. In the post, Trump said Netanyahu had been "Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself."

Israel holds national elections on 27 October 2026. It is the country's first national vote since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

What the post said, according to reports

The Hindu quoted the post as calling it Trump's "Complete and Total Endorsement" of Netanyahu. It also quoted Trump as describing Netanyahu as "the kind of Partner that the United States of America is demanding of Israel."

According to France 24, Trump called Netanyahu "a Great Warrior Prime Minister" and a partner "in combating the Islamic Republic of Iran." France 24 reported that Trump again threatened action against Iran unless it changes course. France 24 quoted him as writing: "If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so."

Background

According to France 24, Trump had withheld an endorsement for months. In a Time magazine interview published in October, he said, "I'm not involved in politics anymore," France 24 reported. It said the lack of an endorsement had been a setback for Netanyahu, who has presented his ties to Trump as a reason to stay in power.

France 24 also reported that the two leaders disagreed at times during the nearly eight-month war that the US and Israel launched against Iran in February 2026. According to France 24, Trump called Netanyahu "crazy" in June. In August, Netanyahu rejected a Trump plan to advance a stalled Gaza ceasefire, France 24 reported.

According to France 24, the race is expected to be tight. It said it was not immediately clear how the endorsement would affect voters. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include polling data.

What each side says

• Trump says Netanyahu is the partner the US demands of Israel, and that he is not inclined to act against Iran himself if another leader wins.
• Netanyahu, in a Hebrew-language statement on X rendered in English by France 24, wrote: "Thank you, President Trump, for the tremendous support and work together," and "Together we will complete the mission!"
• Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief whom France 24 described as Netanyahu's main rival, said at a Tel Aviv conference that he admires Trump. France 24 quoted him as saying: "Israel is a democratic country: only Israelis can choose their leader."

The reports do not explain why Trump chose to endorse Netanyahu now.

Analysis

The endorsement links a foreign leader's support directly to Israeli security policy on Iran, which may shape how voters weigh the choice. Supporters of Netanyahu may see it as evidence of a strong working relationship with Washington. Critics may view it as outside involvement in a domestic vote, a point Eisenkot raised. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi offer no polling or voter data, so any effect on the result is uncertain. It also remains unclear whether a different Israeli government would face the change in US policy Trump described, or whether his statement serves mainly as campaign messaging.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.