Fact Check: Did Trump call Netanyahu a ‘con man’ and say 'Jews are sick of you'?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the tensions between Washington and Jerusalem over the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that President Donald Trump called Benjamin Netanyahu a con man. Let us analyze the claim and fact-check it.
Claim: Donald Trump called Benjamin Netanyahu a 'con man'
According to the rumors circulating online, a recently released book claims Trump privately insulted Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu during a 2025 call over Gaza ceasefire talks, allegedly calling him a “con man” and saying that "all Jews are sick of you.”
These accusations are mentioned in the book, ‘Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,’ written by reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.
According to the sources cited in the book, the conversation took place at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025, amid efforts to secure a US-backed ceasefire.
According to the book, Trump told Netanyahu, “Everybody’s sick of you, Bibi. All the Jews are sick of you. Even the two Jews on this call are sick of you.”
It further alleges that Trump pressured Netanyahu to accept a 20-point ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza and initiating rebuilding plans.
In another reported comment, Trump reportedly told him to “f****** go along with this,” adding that the war “had gone on for too f****** long.”
Fact Check: Unconfirmed, no publicly available evidence to support the claim
The claim, however, is not confirmed, as there is no publicly available evidence to support the claim, since the book cited a private 2025 phone call.
Neither Trump nor Netanyahu has publicly verified the allegation, hence the statement remains an unconfirmed claim reported by the book’s authors, not an independently fact.
Donald Trump says he must keep Benjamin Netanyahu 'a little bit sane'
The claim surfaced as Trump said he has to keep Netanyahu “a little bit sane” as he publicly asserted he can control Israel’s actions despite growing strains over his Iran peace effort. This remark underscores visible tensions between the longtime allies.
Trump argued that Israel's position had been strengthened by US support and suggested that Netanyahu recognize that reality.
“If it weren’t for Donald Trump — and Bibi Netanyahu worked well with me, but he will tell you, we’re the ones with the guns, we’re the ones with the whole deal, we’re the ones with the B-2 bombers, etc.,” Trump said, speaking to Axios reporter Mark Caputo in an interview released on June 19.
