US President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that he was so popular in Israel that he could potentially “run for Prime Minister,” while also praising Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during remarks about the ongoing tensions involving Iran.
The comments surfaced in videos shared on X, where Trump was responding to questions from reporters about Netanyahu and Israel’s approach toward Iran.
“He’s fine. He’ll do whatever I want him to do. He’s a very good man,” Trump said of Netanyahu. “He’s a great guy. To me, he’s a great guy.”
Trump also argued that Netanyahu, whom he described as a “wartime prime minister,” was not being treated fairly in Israel.
‘I’m right now at 99% in Israel’
During the exchange, Trump turned to his own popularity in Israel and joked about the possibility of running for office there.
“I’m right now at 99% in Israel. I could run for prime minister,” Trump said. “So maybe after I do this, I’ll go to Israel, run for prime minister.”
The president added, “I had a poll this morning. I’m 99%. So that’s good.”
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Trump also appeared to criticize Israel’s leadership dynamics, saying, “I think they have a president over there that treats him very poorly,” referring to Netanyahu.
Comments amid growing Iran tensions
Trump’s remarks came as Israeli lawmakers advanced a bill introduced by Netanyahu’s ruling coalition that could dissolve parliament and potentially trigger new elections.
Trump also spoke about the escalating situation involving Iran, saying the United States was approaching a decisive phase.
“We’re in the final stages of Iran. We’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters. “Either have a deal, or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty.”
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He added, “We’re going to give this one shot. I’m in no hurry.”
Later Wednesday, Trump reportedly claimed that Iran’s air force and navy had effectively been destroyed and warned that future military action could become “even harder” if Tehran did not agree to a deal.
While tensions remain high, diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran are reportedly ongoing.
