From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Reporter asks White House press secretary if Trump plans to build Third Temple
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
A reporter for an ultra-Orthodox publication poses a question that had the potential to cause an international incident at the White House press briefing, first declaring that Donald Trump is likely to go down as “the greatest builder of this era,” before asking Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt whether the subject of building the Third Temple in Jerusalem has ever come up during discussions with the US president.
“It has not,” Leavitt responds, quickly putting to bed the possibility.
REPORTER: Looking at these renderings, it got me thinking he’s [Trump] likely going to be remembered as the greatest builder of this era, and you’ve been part of many meetings with him. To your knowledge, has the topic of rebuilding the Holy Temple in Jerusalem ever come up?… pic.twitter.com/gUAmN55LMt
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) October 23, 2025
The two ancient Holy Temples in Jerusalem were located on the Temple Mount, which is also revered by Muslims and has been a flashpoint for numerous violent conflicts. Discussions of any change to the regulations governing the site, which is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, have repeatedly ignited controversy.
Trump’s construction aspirations have been at issue in the United States because he demolished the White House’s East Wing in order to build a ballroom.
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