Trump Says Endorsement Helped Netanyahu Beat Election Polls

US President Donald Trump claimed credit on Wednesday for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stronger-than-expected showing in Israel's election. Trump said his endorsement had turned what looked like a defeat into a close contest. With counting still underway, neither of Israel's main blocs is assured of the 61 seats needed to form a government in the 120-member Knesset.

Trump took questions from reporters while returning from a campaign rally in Texas, Ynet reported. "I hear he did very well. It's pretty close, very good," he said. "When the endorsement came out, it helped him a lot."

Neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot has a clear path to a coalition, and the results point to difficult negotiations ahead. Tuesday night's exit polls showed a much tighter race than many pre-election surveys had predicted, and the official count moved further in the prime minister's favor overnight.

"It's still a little early. But I hear in Israel, I mean, top people are saying, 'Wow, he did much better.' Something like a tie, maybe even a win. We'll see what happens ... I heard the poll numbers were wrong... the exit polls."

Gadi Eisenkot (Photo: Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Trump also shared a statement on Truth Social attributed to Irving C. Schwartz: "When President Trump endorsed Bibi Netanyahu, the whole tide turned, and now, rather than a decisive defeat for a Great Prime Minister, it looks like a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN for Netanyahu." The post did not identify Schwartz's role and that Trump gave no further details about him.

Trump endorsed Netanyahu twice during the campaign, on October 18 and again on October 26, the eve of the vote. The first endorsement cast Netanyahu as essential to Washington's effort to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. "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 second post called on Israelis to back the prime minister at the ballot box. "Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister, we have to finish the job that we started!" Trump wrote.

On Monday, Trump rejected an Axios report that Netanyahu's office had lobbied the White House for a second endorsement. "No, I never spoke to him about it," he told reporters. "I think he has done a very good job as prime minister under very trying conditions."

The overnight results also upended the betting markets. On Polymarket, Netanyahu rose to 48%, while former military chief Gadi Eisenkot fell from 56% to 33.5%. With half the votes counted on Wednesday morning, i24 presenter Eliraz Sade said neither bloc could form a government and called for a unity coalition under Netanyahu.