Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 17, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 17, 2026
Trump says he should ‘stay out of’ Israeli election, but ‘may endorse’ someone in the future
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US President Donald Trump waves as he walks to his motorcade after exiting Marine One on the Ellipse near the White House on August 16, 2026. (Mandel NGAN/AFP)
US President Donald Trump declines to endorse any Israeli candidate in the upcoming national election, but says he may do so in the future.
“I think it’s most appropriate for me to stay out of Israeli elections, but I may endorse somebody,” Fox News reporter Trey Yingst says Trump told him in a phone call this morning.
Trump has been notably close with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, although the pair have clashed over several issues in recent months. Trump has repeatedly and publicly demanded that President Isaac Herzog grant Netanyahu a full pardon in his ongoing corruption case, but Trump has also praised Opposition Leader Yair Lapid in the past.
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