What happened in this Geopolitics story?

In a Time interview ahead of Israel's October 27 election, Trump avoided endorsing Netanyahu three times despite meeting him more than any other leader since January 2025 and publicly pushing for a pardon in his corruption trial.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Trump** dodged an endorsement of Netanyahu three separate times in the Time interview, instead citing his own claimed "99 percent" popularity in Israel and his first-term move of the US embassy to Jerusalem.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Trump** has met Netanyahu at least seven times since January 2025 — more than any other leader — and has publicly pushed for a pardon in Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial, per the source.

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Trump Refuses to Endorse Netanyahu Before Israel Election — SkimNews

By Al Jazeera · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-10-01

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Trump dodged an endorsement of Netanyahu three separate times in the Time interview, instead citing his own claimed "99 percent" popularity in Israel and his first-term move of the US embassy to Jerusalem.
Trump has met Netanyahu at least seven times since January 2025 — more than any other leader — and has publicly pushed for a pardon in Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial, per the source.
Trump hosted Netanyahu at the White House most recently in July, even as the source notes concerns over Israeli obstructions to ending the conflict and the war in Gaza.
Trump defended Netanyahu against reports that Egypt and the UAE had warned of the impending October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, telling Time: "if he would have known, he would have done something about it."
Trump declined to say whether US security support for Israel would change if opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot wins the October 27 vote, replying only: "I don't know. I don't hear bad things about him."
Trump also told Time he may still seek to "annihilate" Iran and could resume bombing after the November US midterm elections.
The non-endorsement comes as Trump's Republican Party faces growing discontent over the Iran conflict, which the source says has driven up US petrol prices and become "a key vulnerability" ahead of the midterms.

Why it matters: After at least seven meetings and a public pardon push, Trump's three-time refusal to endorse Netanyahu is conspicuous — and it lands as Republicans face midterm vulnerability over the Iran conflict, which the source ties to rising US petrol prices.