While many political leaders in the United States have been eager to voice support for Israel in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, Donald Trump went in a very different direction during a campaign event in Florida last week.
The former American president claimed, for example, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “let us down” and did “a very terrible thing” when the prime minister — according to Trump’s version of events — decided that Israel would not participate in a mission that targeted Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani in 2020.
As we discussed soon after, Trump also criticized Israeli intelligence, and in the same appearance, described Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, as “very smart” — a label the Republican usually reserves for Russia’s Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jung Un and China’s Xi Jinping.
The rhetoric was not well received. For one thing, the Republican’s claims about Israel’s role in the Suleimani mission have been discredited. For another, Trump’s criticisms of Israel — and compliments for Hezbollah — have faced significant pushback from the former president’s ostensible allies.
A New York Times report noted that even Israeli conservatives were “stunned” by Trump’s rhetoric. The article quoted Attila Somfalvi, a senior political analyst and commentator on Israeli television, adding that the former American president’s criticisms came “as a shock to a country that had been broadly supportive of Mr. Trump throughout his administration.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who often goes to embarrassing lengths in service of Trump, appeared on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” and conceded that Trump’s kind words for Hezbollah were “a huge mistake.” When host Kristen Welker also noted the former president’s admonishments for Netanyahu, the South Carolina Republican added, “I thought it was not helpful.”
It’s against this backdrop that Trump did something he generally does not do: He took some unsubtle steps to walk back what he’d done. The Associated Press reported: Former President Donald Trump said Friday that he stood with Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as his GOP rivals continued to pointedly denounce his lashing out at Netanyahu days after Hamas’ deadly attacks. Referring to Netanyahu by his nickname, Trump posted “#IStandWithIsrael” and “#IStandWithBibi” on his Truth Social network Friday afternoon.
Three hours before his “#IStandWithIsrael” and “#IStandWithBibi” message, the Republican posted a separate item that read, “I have always been impressed by the skill and determination of the Israeli Defence Forces. As they defend their Nation against ruthless terrorists, I want to wish every soldier the best of luck. May you return home safely to your families, and may God bless you all!” As a general rule, Trump responds to controversies surrounding his rhetoric by doubling down. The more people the Republican outrages, the more he repeats the original message that sparked the uproar in the first place. This time, however, someone apparently told the former president that he made a mess he should at least try to clean up.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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