US President Donald Trump confirmed that he called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “f****ing crazy” and told him that Trump kept him out of jail during a call on Monday, in an interview on the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” with Miranda Devine, released on Wednesday.
Reports of Trump’s language were first released on Monday, with an Israeli source later disputing the account.
In his interview, Trump clarified that he wasn’t angry but that he “was a little perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon.”
“I like Bibi a lot,” Trump added. “I’m a wartime president, he’s a wartime prime minister.”
Trump also disputed theories that Netanyahu had “tricked” him into joining the war.
“I’m the one that started it,” Trump said, emphasizing that Iran could not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, which “pertains to Israel as they would probably be the first one to get hit.”
“If there wasn’t me, there would be no Israel,” he added.
Khamenei may be involved in negotiations
Trump discussed ongoing negotiations with Iran, saying that the Iranians told him Mojtaba Khamenei was making the decisions, although Trump himself could not confirm Khamenei’s status as he “had not had the pleasure of meeting him.”
“I’d like to meet him; we probably will meet depending on how it all works out,” he added.
Trump stated that it’s unlikely that the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz would still be in place by Labor Day.
“I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly,” Trump said.
When asked about actions taken that contradicted earlier Trump statements, Trump said that while confusing the Iranians was a benefit, his actions were due to the situation in Iran “rapidly changing.”
“I could give you an answer and then in twenty minutes go into the office and…realize my answer is now incorrect,” he said.
Trump says Vance and Rubio teaming up for 2028 run would be unbeatable
US President Donald Trump said in a podcast interview aired on Wednesday that Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Rubio, teaming up for a 2028 presidential run, would be unbeatable.
Both men are seen as contenders for the 2028 Republican nomination, and Rubio’s recent turn at the White House podium drew praise from Republicans and even some Democrats who noted his smooth performance, which included quips and a 1990s hip-hop reference to describe Iran’s negotiating position.
“I would think that JD and Marco as a team would be very hard to beat,” Trump told Miranda Devine in a podcast aired on Wednesday. “It’s interesting, human thing, the human equation. So I watch them together, they get along great,” he added.
Trump has continued to fuel the succession talk even as both Vance and Rubio downplay their 2028 ambitions.
No one has formally entered the race for the November 2028 vote, but maneuvering has begun. Democratic contenders are already jockeying for a 2028 presidential run, signaling an open race with no clear party standard-bearer in the fight to succeed Trump.
Reuters contributed to this report.
