Former U.S. President Donald Trump has stirred fresh controversy with an appeal to Israel to cancel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial or issue a presidential pardon, calling the Israeli leader a “great hero” and likening the prosecution to a political “witch hunt.”
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump wrote, “Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State (of Israel).” The remarks come amid Netanyahu’s continued court appearances in Tel Aviv, where cross-examination in a high-profile corruption case began earlier this month.
Netanyahu, indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, denies all allegations. The trial, now entering its fifth year, spans three criminal cases and is expected to continue for at least another year, according to Israeli media reports.
While the power to issue a pardon lies with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, he has reportedly ruled out such an option for now, telling local media that “no such request has been made” and that a pardon is “not currently on the table.”
Trump’s remarks suggested the U.S. had not only supported Israel militarily in the past but could once again intervene symbolically to “save” Netanyahu. “It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu,” he declared, possibly referencing American backing of Israeli operations against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
The former president’s defense of Netanyahu was tempered by a rare rebuke earlier this week, when Trump criticized Israeli airstrikes following a ceasefire agreement with Iran. Speaking to reporters, he lamented, “Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs… I’m not happy with Israel.”
Despite the mixed messaging, Trump’s characterization of Netanyahu’s prosecution as a politically motivated attack mirrors his own rhetoric surrounding criminal investigations in the U.S., adding a layer of political resonance ahead of both men’s contested political futures.
