By Elizabeth Gresosky
On the Tuesday morning of midterm elections, President Trump phoned into Fox & Friends and claimed that aid to Israel will cease by the end of the year.
“As far as paying Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I had made a deal that we give Israel $4 billion a year. And we made a deal months ago that we’re stopping…and they’re fine with it, because, you know, they’ve become a very successful country. They don’t need it. And we won’t be paying any more,” the president said, reiterating that “by the end of this year, we won’t pay Israel.”
He followed, however, by saying that “we’ll help Israel if they need it, they’ve been a great ally.”
Host Brian Kilmeade interjected to clarify if the United States really is not going to give that aforementioned $4 billion, but President Trump proceeded to discuss the status of the war with Iran and other topics. About ten minutes later, Kilmeade returned to the issue.
“Are we to understand we’ve cutten [sic] off aid to Israel – that we were giving them $4 billion and we’re no longer going to be giving them $4 billion?” he asked.
The president replied that we were giving Israel that amount, but it’s being cut off at the end of the year. When Kilmeade asked the reason for this decision, Trump replied, “because they don’t need it, Brian…I asked them; they don’t need it.”
He also indicated some of the political baggage that has resulted from the country’s relationship with Israel. “Why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like El-Sayed when they don’t need it? It’s a bad talking point,” he said.
Kilmeade tried to clarify whether that $4 billion is actual cash, military aid, or hardware. President Trump responded, “Any way you want to define it. You can consider it barter, consider it military aid or cash.”
Eyebrows raised around the globe in response to this announcement, including those in Israel.
The Jerusalem Post reported that “Israeli defense sources expressed surprise as Trump’s claim raises questions about how the two countries would end an aid arrangement that is formally set to run through 2028.”
“Trump’s announcement raises a significant question,” the authors stated. “What happens to the existing US-Israel military assistance agreement, which commits Washington to providing $38 billion in military aid over the 10-year period ending in 2028?”
In the United States, critics grappled with the president’s claims.
In publicly stating that he’s cutting off aid to Israel, President Trump is attempting to set a narrative: whatever action Israel takes against Iran has nothing to do with the U.S. It gives us a political “out” if Israel targets civilian infrastructure or uses a nuclear weapon on Iran. Unfortunately, Iran will not see it this way. Just as they’ve hit us when Israel has initiated attacks in the past, Iran will retaliate against us & our gulf partners if Israel engages in further acts of aggression. The reality is that it’s going take more than a public statement to meaningfully restrain Israel, especially when that statement highlights the still-heavy influence Netanyahu has on these decisions. Bibi, Israeli officials, & their American surrogates have known for some time now that the days of unconditional support from the U.S. are reaching an end, and have resorted to misdirection: get everyone focused on Trump ending the cash funding & weaponry provisions, while in the background shifting their own efforts to push the far more lucrative— but harder to detect— “partnership” that’s on the cusp of being codified into law within the NDAA. If POTUS is genuinely serious about cutting off aid to Israel, he must demand that Congress remove all proposed programs that will give the Israeli defense & intelligence apparatuses unfettered access to our own defense & intelligence R&D. Protect American interests, put Americans first.
— Joe Kent (@joekent16jan19) November 3, 2026
Joe Kent, the former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center who resigned his post in objection of the war with Iran, wrote on X, “In publicly stating that he’s cutting off aid to Israel, President Trump is attempting to set a narrative: whatever action Israel takes against Iran has nothing to do with the U.S. It gives us a political ‘out’ if Israel targets civilian infrastructure or uses a nuclear weapon on Iran.”
“Unfortunately, Iran will not see it this way,” Kent continued. “Just as they’ve hit us when Israel has initiated attacks in the past, Iran will retaliate against us & our gulf partners if Israel engages in further acts of aggression.”
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene highlighted the irony of the announcement.
“This morning on Election Day, Trump goes on Fox News and announces he’s going to stop $4 billion dollars per year aid to Israel. Last year when my amendment to strip funding to Israel failed in the House bc only 6 members of congress including myself voted for it, I was labeled an antisemite,” she wrote.
Greene continued: “Amazing how being on the verge of Republicans getting wiped out in the midterms changes hearts and minds.”
Others have asserted that the money will not be cut off – simply moved into the Pentagon procurement process, which generally requires less oversight.
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