Trump Endorses Netanyahu Nine Days Before Israel’s Election, Warning U.S. Won’t ‘Finish the Job’ on Iran Alone

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 18 (TodayViralUSA) — President Donald Trump on Sunday gave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu what he called his “Complete and Total Endorsement” for reelection, nine days before Israelis vote, and suggested the United States would be reluctant to keep pressing the campaign against Iran if Netanyahu is defeated.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Netanyahu “a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and wrote that he had been “Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself.”

An endorsement with a warning

Trump said Iran had been “systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially,” and that unless Tehran changed course quickly, “we will soon finish the job.” He then tied that pledge to the outcome of Israel’s Oct. 27 vote.

“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,” Trump wrote.

The endorsement is a coveted boost for Netanyahu, given Trump’s popularity in Israel, but it is one the president had withheld for months as the two leaders’ strategies in the Middle East diverged, The Associated Press reported. The allies have disagreed at points during the nearly eight-month war with Iran that the two countries jointly launched in February.

Netanyahu: ‘Together we will complete the mission’

Netanyahu thanked Trump on X for his “tremendous support and the joint work,” adding, “Together we will complete the mission!” His Likud party attached a 35-second video of clips showing the two leaders together.

In a separate video, Netanyahu said he was “honored and humbled” and addressed Americans directly, linking the Iran fight to fuel costs. “If you’re worried about today’s gas prices, think of what will happen if Iran gets nuclear weapons,” he said.

A tight race at home

It was not immediately clear what effect the endorsement would have on what is expected to be a close contest. Many Israelis, including prominent commentators, have voiced disappointment with the inconclusive outcome of the Iran war and with Trump’s ceasefire proposal, which fell short of several of the countries’ main goals, according to the AP.

Netanyahu’s coalition, the most nationalist and right-wing in Israel’s history, faces domestic criticism over security failures and international criticism over its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The Oct. 27 ballot will be Israel’s first national election since the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023.