Trump Jokes He Could Move to Israel and Become Prime Minister if Americans Tire of Him
WASHINGTON | November 3, 2026 — President Donald Trump joked during an Election Day interview on Fox News that he could move to Israel and become the country’s prime minister if Americans ever grew tired of him. The remark drew attention online, but there is no indication that Trump announced an actual plan to move abroad or seek political office in Israel.
What Trump said
“In fact, if people ever got tired of me in the U.S., I’ll move to Israel, become prime minister,” Trump said, according to reports from TMZ and Israel’s Ynet News, which described the statement as a joke.
During the same discussion, Trump claimed he had a 99% approval rating in Israel. He did not identify a polling organization or release evidence substantiating that number in the reporting reviewed. It should not be treated as a verified measure of Israeli public opinion.
Not the first time
Trump made a similar remark in May 2026 while speaking with reporters before traveling to a Coast Guard Academy graduation. At that time, he also claimed 99% support in Israel and said he might go there to run for prime minister after finishing his U.S. presidency. USA TODAY’s May report described those earlier comments and noted the claimed poll was not identified.
Could an American president simply become Israel’s prime minister?
No. Israel has a parliamentary system. Its prime minister depends on support in the Knesset, the country’s legislature, and there are citizenship and political eligibility requirements. An American president cannot obtain the office simply by declaring an intention to move to Israel. Trump’s statement was rhetorical, not a formal candidacy announcement.
A separate, more consequential announcement on U.S. aid
During the same Fox & Friends interview, Trump said that the United States would end roughly $4 billion in annual aid to Israel after 2026, asserting that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reached an agreement. Reuters and the Associated Press reported the statement.
That is a claim about a future policy change, not confirmation the aid has already ended. The existing U.S.-Israel security assistance framework provides approximately $3.8 billion annually through 2028, and congressional appropriations are part of the process. Details about how the announced change would be implemented remain unclear.
Why these comments matter on Election Day
The remarks came as Americans voted in midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. Trump’s joke highlighted his close identification with Israel and his claims about public support there. His separate comments about military assistance raised a more substantive question: what changes, if any, will Congress and the administration make to U.S.-Israel funding?
The Brownstone Bottom Line
Trump did say he could move to Israel and become prime minister if Americans tired of him. But he appeared to be joking, not announcing a move or a political campaign. His asserted 99% approval rating has not been verified. Separately, his comments about ending U.S. aid to Israel warrant continued scrutiny because the current assistance agreement runs beyond this year.
Featured image: Original AI-generated Brownstone Worldwide editorial illustration, not an authentic photograph of the Fox News interview.
Know. Grow. Belong. — Brownstone Worldwide
