Trump flouts political risk to host Netanyahu’s seventh White House visit
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- Trump is hosting Netanyahu at the White House for the seventh time in his second term, the first such Oval Office meeting since the two leaders jointly launched the war with Iran on February 28.
- Netanyahu's government vehemently opposed the June 17 US-Iran memorandum of understanding and pushed for regime change and a zero-tolerance nuclear policy — directly at odds with Trump's pursuit of diplomatic off-ramps.
- A Politico poll showed just a third of self-identified MAGA voters felt the economic costs of the Iran war were worth it, signaling rare war-weariness inside Trump's base with midterms roughly three months away.
- Vice President JD Vance publicly rebuked Israel over Lebanon operations threatening the MoU, warning Israeli officials against attacking "the only powerful ally" they have left in the world.
- Netanyahu, facing expected punishing Israeli elections in October, gains politically from being photographed with Trump and positioning himself as the only Israeli leader who can manage the US relationship.
- Settler violence in the occupied West Bank — a rare bipartisan cause in US politics including within the Trump administration — could surface as the "wild card" pressure point at Tuesday's meeting.
Why it matters: Trump is welcoming Netanyahu for a seventh White House visit just three months before midterms, even as a Politico poll shows only a third of MAGA voters view the Iran war's economic costs as worth it. The meeting lands as Trump chases a new diplomatic channel with Tehran that Netanyahu's government actively opposes, making both leaders politically dependent on the photo op.
