During an interview with conservative radio host Mark Levin on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a "war hero."
Trump praised Netanyahu for his work in the ongoing effort to free hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, stating, "He's a good man, he's in there fighting."
"He's in there fighting, they're trying to put him in jail on top of everything else, how about that?" Trump said, referencing Netanyahu’s trial. “He’s a war hero, cause we worked together. He’s a war hero. I guess I am too. Nobody cares. I am too. I sent those planes.”
The President’s reference to "sending those planes" was in regard to his decision to order airstrikes against three critical enrichment facilities in Iran this past June.
Throughout the interview, Trump also voiced his frustration for not having received enough recognition for these and other recent actions he has taken to de-escalate global conflicts.
The President also pointed out that Hamas “weren't going to give back any hostages” and added, “I’m the one that got all the hostages back."
During the 2024 presidential election campaign, which culminated in Trump winning a second term in office, Netanyahu and Trump mended ties that had become strained in the wake of Trump’s 2020 election loss.
During a meeting between Trump and Netanyahu in July of 2024, Trump stressed, “My relationship with Netanyahu was never bad.”
In April, Trump stated that he and Netanyahu are “on the same side of every issue”.
The comments on Netanyahu’s trial are not the first time that Trump has criticized the legal proceedings against the Prime Minister.
In June, Trump published a lengthy post on Truth Social in which he called the trial a "ridiculous Witch Hunt" and called for its immediate cancellation or a pardon for the Prime Minister. Three days later, he published a second post with similar messaging.