Fact Check: Did Trump blame Netanyahu for Republican loss in midterm elections?
WASHINGTON, DC: Following the Republican Party’s historic loss in the midterm elections, a rumor began circulating on social media claiming that President Donald Trump blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Iran war for the loss in the election. The claim has sparked speculation among online users, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Trump blamed Benjamin Netanyahu for midterm loss
The rumor appeared as a post on X, claiming to show an exchange between Trump and Netanyahu, where Trump allegedly said, “Instead of destroying Iran, you have destroyed me."
He allegedly said, “Due to your foolish Iran war, I lost the midterms. I lost all popularity." Netanyahu replied, “You lost because of you, not because of me."
The post ends with Trump saying, “Cut the call, you idiot. Out."
Several accounts on the platform amplified the post, garnering tens of thousands of views as of this writing. It has evoked laughter and concern among online users, indicating many believe the claim is an authentic exchange between the two leaders.
Meanwhile, a few others are skeptical and have called the post fake.
Fact Check: The claim originated as satire
However, the claim is false, as there are no records of such an exchange in which Trump blamed Netanyahu for the war in Iran.
There are no publicly available transcripts, call records, official statements, announcements, or social media posts from the two leaders supporting the claim.
If such an exchange had taken place, credible media outlets would have widely reported it, triggering debates and making headlines. A search on Google for the claim also yielded no such media reports, except for the social media posts sharing the claim.
Additionally, the claim was posted by an X account called ‘InfoGram’ which describes itself in the bio as ‘satire.’
Trump says Middle East allies must repay Iran war costs to US
The claim surfaced after Trump said that American allies in the Middle East, including Israel, will "pay" the US bill for the Iran war.
The statement came after the administration acknowledged that the eight-month-long conflict played a major role in the Republican loss in the midterms.
"Those countries that we've protected are going to pay us back any and all costs that we've had for the war," the president said in an interview with CBS News’ ‘60 Minutes.’ "Without us, Israel would not exist," he added.
Trump’s demand came as the Pentagon estimate for the conflict reached $47 billion amid mounting concerns over rising fuel prices and their political consequences.
