President Donald Trump appears surprised that Israel has lost control of Congress, according to his statements in a Monday interview with the Daily Caller newspaper.
When asked by journalist Regan Reese if he was concerned about declining Republican support for Israel in Congress, Trump said he was surprised by how the Jewish state’s reputation had changed.
“Israel had the strongest lobby in Congress than anything else or any organization, or any company or organization or state I’ve ever seen. Today, it doesn’t have such a strong lobby. It’s amazing,” Trump told the Daily Caller.
Trump laments that 15 years ago the Israel lobby was the “strongest” lobby in Congress, but now it’s “under siege” by the Squad.
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“Israel was the strongest lobby I’ve ever seen. They had absolute control of Congress, and now they don’t have it, you know, it surprises me a little to see that.”
Reese noted that a Pew poll in March found that 53% of U.S. adults had a negative view of Israel, compared to 42% in 2022. She continued telling Trump that, additionally, half of Republicans who participated in a Pew poll now view Israel negatively.
Trump: Israel may be winning the war, but losing the PR battle
Trump added that while Israeli forces should end the war in Gaza, he believed this would damage Israel’s international reputation.
“They should finish this war. But it’s hurting Israel. There’s no question about it. They may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the public relations world, you know, and that’s hurting them.”
Trump also said he believes the world “forgot October 7th,” which led to increasing adverse public opinion against Israel.
He also claimed that “nobody has done more for Israel than me, including recent attacks with Iran.”
Netanyahu: Trump opposes partial hostage deal
The American president’s statements come after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that Trump opposes a partial hostage deal.
“Forget partial deals. Continue with full force. Complete it,” Netanyahu quoted U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that Israel’s legitimacy margin from the international community is limited and that pausing for a partial deal would harm the effort to destroy Hamas.
