Former President Donald Trump commended the Israeli military on Friday, following his recent critical remarks about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu.
"I have always been impressed by the skill and determination of the Israeli Defense Forces," Trump posted on Truth Social, Friday. "As they defend their Nation against ruthless terrorists, I want to wish every soldier the best of luck. May you return home safely to your families, and may God bless you all!" The Hill reported.
Trump, the GOP's front-runner for president in 2024, unleashed a critical barrage at Netanyahu on Wednesday, asserting that the Israeli prime minister had been caught off guard by Hamas' assault. Trump also lauded the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as "very smart."
During an interview with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade that aired Wednesday night, Trump remarked, "[Netanyahu] has been hurt very badly because of what's happened here. He was not prepared. He was not prepared, and Israel was not prepared."
Also, in a Wednesday political rally, Trump asserted that Netanyahu had "let us down" before the U.S. carried out the 2020 operation that resulted in the elimination of the prominent Iranian military commander, Qassem Soleimani. Trump went on to urge Israeli leaders to "step up their game," according to CBS News.
Some of Trump's Republican presidential rivals have positioned themselves as staunch supporters of Netanyahu during Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas.
At a Friday morning GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis town hall in Merrimack, New Hampshire, a voter said while "there's a lot of people that generally like Trump's policies," they might not be "big fans" of his behavior — and cited his criticism of Netanyahu.
"Some of the things that you say you don't like," DeSantis responded, "I think that's part of the reason some of the other things didn't get done. Why would I want to alienate anyone unnecessarily?" He said, "To go out and just take potshots at Netanyahu in a time of war right now, I don't see where that's very productive."
DeSantis posted Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Terrorists have murdered at least 1,200 Israelis and 22 Americans and are holding more hostage, so it is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise Hezbollah terrorists as 'very smart.'"
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.