Trump praises Netanyahu on eve of election: "He did a very good job"

On Monday, President Donald Trump appeared to deny that he had discussed issuing an additional endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the country's elections. Speaking to reporters while boarding Air Force One, Trump was directly asked whether Netanyahu had requested the second endorsement. Trump firmly stated, "I never spoke about it." He then affirmed that he had issued both endorsements, praising Netanyahu's performance as prime minister under challenging circumstances.

This response contradicts statements from US officials to The Jerusalem Post, who reported that Netanyahu had been actively trying to convince the American president to issue another public statement of support. Axios also claimed that Netanyahu had spoken with Trump twice within three days, requesting guidance on reinforcing his public support and even suggesting possible wording for additional endorsements. The Likud party refuted the reports that Netanyahu had sought such an endorsement from Trump.

During the same exchange, Trump was also asked about Brazil's presidential election. When inquired about intentions regarding the outcome, Trump replied, "I'm not running Brazil. I'm running the USA." Despite this, the president expressed criticism of the election process, praising Brazilian incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva while acknowledging the "very bad look" of the vote-counting procedure.

Trump also commented on a decision by Brazil's Supreme Court to extend voting in the second round, attributing it to complaints about transportation disruptions but noting its controversial nature.