Trump said to yell at Netanyahu: ‘You’re f**king crazy. You’d be in prison if not for me’ |
US President Donald Trump reportedly fumed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a Monday call, calling the premier “fucking crazy” and telling him that everyone “hates Israel” as he demanded Israel agree to a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Axios cited a US official who summarized Trump’s message to Netanyahu as follows: “You’re fucking crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
A second source briefed on the call told the outlet that the US president was “pissed” and at one point yelled at Netanyahu: “What the fuck are you doing?”
Two of the sources also said Trump accused Netanyahu of ingratitude during the call on the escalation in fighting in Lebanon that Axios described as “expletive-laden.”
While US officials told the news site that Trump was aware Hezbollah has been firing repeatedly at Israel and that Jerusalem has a right to respond, he believed the Israel Defense Forces responded disproportionately in recent days, risking Washington’s efforts to secure a ceasefire extension with Iran, which is conditioning a deal on a truce in Lebanon.
Trump “steamrolled” Netanyahu on the call, a US official told Axios, and “Bibi said, ‘OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of.”
US officials were also quoted as saying Trump told Netanyahu that he has kept him out of prison, an apparent reference to Trump’s repeated public demand that President Isaac Herzog pardon the prime minister, who is in the midst of a lengthy corruption trial.
Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the report.
In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump wrote that he had a “very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no troops going to Beirut, and any troops that are on their way, have already been turned back.”
“He turned his Troops around. Thank you Bibi!” Trump said, describing Israel’s attack plans as “a major raid of Beirut.”
Israeli military sources said no troops were actually en route to Beirut, contrary to Trump’s claim.
“Likewise — through highly placed representatives — I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — that Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel,” Trump added, without specifying with whom he had communicated in the terror group, while also claiming Hezbollah consented to stop targeting Israeli........