The endorsement has divided Trump's allies in Washington ahead of the Nov. 3 US midterm elections. Vice President JD Vance declined on Monday to back Netanyahu, telling journalist Mark Halperin, "I endorse American candidates, and that's where I'm focused on the midterms. So, I'm not getting involved in Israeli elections," even though Vance campaigned in Budapest in April for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and backed Germany's AfD earlier in his term. Vance's refusal drew criticism on Fox News labeling the move "anti-Israel" and an "unforced error," while former White House strategist Steve Bannon said his WarRoom program was "not wild about" Trump's endorsement and former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent called backing Netanyahu "political suicide" for Republicans.
Trump issued his "complete and total endorsement" on Truth Social on Sunday, breaking with the longstanding US practice of staying out of Israeli elections and warning voters that if they choose anyone other than Netanyahu to confront Iran, "America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so." Trump told Axios he backed Netanyahu because they have a "good relationship" and asked, "Who wants to take the chance?" on another leader, despite advisers pushing back and Trump privately calling Netanyahu "his own worst enemy." Netanyahu's Likud party polls at 20 to 22 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, down from 32 in 2022 and trailing former army chief Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party, with a recent poll projecting 54 seats for the opposition bloc against 49 for Netanyahu's coalition.