US President Donald Trump joked that he could one day run for prime minister of Israel, claiming he was “99%” popular there, as Israeli politics was thrown into turmoil by moves toward an early national
election that could unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Maybe after I do this I’ll go to Israel and run for prime minister,” Trump said during remarks.
He added, “I had a poll this morning… I’m 99%.” The quip came hours after Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, approved a preliminary bill to dissolve itself, opening the door to snap elections months ahead of schedule.
The political crisis erupted after an ultra-Orthodox party- traditionally one of Netanyahu’s most reliable coalition allies- broke ranks and backed efforts to trigger fresh elections. The split stems from a long-running dispute over military conscription exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men. If the dissolution bill clears additional parliamentary votes, Israelis could head to the polls as early as September, though the country’s next election must legally be held by late October.
The potential election poses one of the biggest political threats to Netanyahu since his return to office in 2022 at the head of Israel’s most right-wing government. Opinion polls have consistently shown his coalition losing support following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, which sparked widespread criticism of the government’s security failures.
Trump has long enjoyed strong backing among many conservative Israelis due to his close relationship with Netanyahu and his administration’s pro-Israel policies, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and brokering the Abraham Accords.
