Report: Trump’s top pollster joked about seeking asylum in Israel ahead of GOP’s resounding midterm defeat

An aide to US President Donald Trump joked in a private video call in the run-up to the US midterm elections that he would perhaps “get asylum in Israel” if it looked like things were going south for the Republican Party, according to a New York Times report on the historic losses suffered by the GOP on Tuesday.

The Democratic Party trounced its rivals in the Republican Party up and down the US on Tuesday, taking control of the US House and Senate, in a clear show of dissatisfaction with Trump’s second presidency, which has been marked by a high cost of living and wars in the Middle East.

The Times, examining the Republican Party’s attitude in the run-up to the election, which polls accurately predicted would not go well for the GOP, documents a private video call held by top Trump aides and strategists six days before the vote.

During the call, Trump’s top pollster Tony Fabrizio reportedly joked to his colleagues that “maybe we could get asylum in Israel” following the election.

Another aide, strategist James Blair, is said to have sarcastically referred to Israel’s Knesset election, held a day earlier.

“At least Bibi won. He’ll protect us,” he said, according to the Times, referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu’s Likud did emerge as the largest party in last week’s election, but the prime minister lost his governing majority and has no clear route to forming a new coalition.

Trump, who endorsed Netanyahu nine days before the October 27 vote, declared as results came in that his support had helped Netanyahu clinch “a big come-from-behind stalemate, or even a WIN.”