Donald Trump says growing aversion to Israel in the US contributed to Republican midterms defeat
According to Channel 14 Israel, US President Donald Trump stated in an interview with CBS News' '60 Minutes' that the growing aversion to Israel among the American public was one of the reasons for the Republican Party's heavy defeat in the midterm elections. Speaking for the first time at length since his party lost control of both houses of Congress, the President linked the election results to the war with Iran, rising fuel prices, and negative attitudes toward Israel. Trump declared that, astonishingly, there is a great deal of un-fondness for Israel, and the American public did not like the war and its economic consequences. The interview was conducted on Friday at the White House by journalist Ross Douthat. Trump cited the war with Iran, fuel prices, and public attitudes toward Israel as three main factors. Regarding Vice President JD Vance's remarks linking the Iran war to the Republican loss, Trump said he does not dispute the analysis and that Vance had consulted him beforehand. Despite accepting the political cost of the war, Trump insisted his decision to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons was correct and he would act against Iran once again if required. He also claimed that without the United States, Israel would not exist, citing US B-2 bomber strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. Prior to the broadcast, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that while the military campaign lacked broad public support, Trump acted based on Iran's nuclear threat, noting that doing the right thing for national security is sometimes unpopular yet necessary. Rubio also addressed diplomatic efforts with Tehran, stating that gaps remain significant and the US reserves the right to take defensive action if a clear threat arises.