Donald Trump claimed a 99 percent approval rating in Israel while joking on Fox News that he would relocate there and become prime minister if Americans ever tired of him — a figure that stands in sharp contrast to the 32 percent approval a Reuters poll found for him at home and the 69 percent measured in Israel, Soester Anzeiger reported. The report was accompanied by a photograph showing Trump taking off his baseball cap after a final speech before the midterms.
The remark came during a phone interview on “Fox and Friends,” the breakfast program on Fox News, in the days before the U.S. midterm elections. Trump told viewers that if people in the United States no longer wanted him, he would move to Israel and continue his political career there. “I have a 99 percent approval rating in Israel, can you believe it?” he said on Fox News, adding that he had the highest approval rating of anyone in history. It was clear that Trump was joking with the remark. “If people in the United States ever get tired of me, I will move to Israel and become prime minister,” he added.
The 99 Percent Claim Does Not Hold Up
The number Trump cited fails verification. A survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute found that 69 percent of Israelis surveyed regarded him as the most Israel-friendly U.S. president — far from 99 percent, but more than double the 32 percent approval the Reuters poll recorded in the United States. Even so, Trump is currently more popular in Israel than in his own country, according to the figures Soester Anzeiger cited.
| Figure | Source | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| 99% | Trump, on “Fox and Friends” | His claimed approval rating in Israel |
| 69% | Jewish People Policy Institute survey | Israelis who view him as the most friendly U.S. president |
| 32% | Reuters poll | His approval rating in the United States |
Why the Joke Landed in a Sensitive Moment
The quip arrived as Trump’s party faced the possibility of a heavy defeat in the congressional midterms. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate were up for election, and Republicans held only a razor-thin majority in the House. If Democrats reclaimed that chamber, Trump would lose control of Congress, which could sharply block his legislative agenda, Soester Anzeiger reported. For Trump’s party, the midterms were about the political survival of its agenda.
Trump’s domestic approval had fallen to a historic low on the eve of the vote. CNN Harry Enten described him as the least popular president ever to face a midterm election.
President Trump: "I have a 99% approval rating in Israel. If people ever got tired of me in the US, I'll move to Israel and become prime minister" pic.twitter.com/B5FU8RogNA
An Expert Points Elsewhere
Shortly before the midterms, U.S. expert Jamie Rowen had already speculated about possible exit plans for Trump, Soester Anzeiger reported. In her assessment, the most likely destination would not be Israel but Russia, where Trump’s close relationship with Vladimir Putin would open doors for him.
