Trump again declines to endorse Netanyahu: ‘I don’t trust anybody’

President Donald Trump again declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election, saying in a Newsmax interview that he has a very good relationship with him but does not “trust anybody” in politics.

President Donald Trump has again declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 parliamentary election, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing an interview Trump gave to Newsmax on Thursday.

Asked by host Rob Finnerty whether Israelis want him involved in the campaign, Trump said: “Well, they’d like me to be. Yeah, they’d like me to be.” He did not commit to taking part or say whether he backs Netanyahu for another term.

“I don’t trust anybody”

Trump and Netanyahu speak to the press in the Oval Office (file photo)

“I’ve had a very good relationship with him,” Trump said of Netanyahu, describing the military partnership between the two countries as very successful. But he added: “I don’t trust anybody, honestly. In the world of politics, I don’t trust anybody.”

Trump also claimed broad popularity among Israelis. “The people of Israel, they say if I ran for prime minister, I’d get 99% of them,” he said.

“We may endorse somebody”

Earlier in the week, Trump said, “We may endorse somebody in these elections.” In an interview with TIME published Oct. 1, he steered away from the question three times when asked whether Netanyahu should get another term.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee dismissed as “fake news” a report that the administration was pushing Netanyahu to form a unity government with opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot after the vote. “The American administration is not trying to interfere in Israel’s elections or tell the Israeli prime minister what to do,” he said. Netanyahu has repeatedly highlighted his close ties with Trump during the campaign.

Trump again declines to endorse Netanyahu: ‘I don’t trust anybody’