Trump acknowledges remarks made in call with Netanyahu

2026-06-04

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a podcast released on the 3rd that he had berated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a telephone conversation on the 1st. While saying he was not angry himself, he said he was 'a little disturbed' by the continued fighting in Lebanon.

Backing up the remarks

The U.S. news site Axios reported that Trump had told U.S. officials he told Netanyahu, 'You are so damn crazy' and 'I helped you out, man, because I didn't want you to get in jail.' Asked by a columnist in the program whether the remarks were true, Trump replied, 'I said it.'

Denies deterioration in ties

Trump said he told Israel that 'we have to stop the attacks,' but stressed that his relationship with Netanyahu was 'very good.' He also said, 'He always says, 'We couldn't have done it without the United States,'' denying any deterioration in ties.

Impact on Middle East policy

For Trump, Israel's military actions are an obstacle to ending the fighting with Iran. Israel had continued attacks on the Iran-backed group Hezbollah based in Lebanon and had also been considering military operations in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, but Trump said he used a phone call to make them abandon that course.

In an interview with CNBC on the 3rd, Netanyahu was asked by a reporter how he reacted to being called crazy and said, 'I will refrain from discussing the details of the conversation.' He added, 'We share the same goals. We may differ on tactics, but we have always found a solution.'

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