Trump Claims Israel Would Be 'Totally Destroyed' Without His Support
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Israel would be ‘totally destroyed’ without his support. Trump also said Washington must keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘sane’ regarding the Lebanon issue, while asserting he still maintains a good relationship.
In an interview with Axios, as reported by Anadolu Agency and the New York Post on Saturday (20/6/2026), Trump stressed that he can control Israel’s military actions in Lebanon because officials in Tel Aviv ‘do what I say’.
Trump criticised his ally, saying he had lost respect for ‘hardliners’ in Israel who want him to continue fighting against Iran. He then emphasised US military superiority, stating that Washington provides the ‘weapons’ and ‘bomber planes’. He even claimed that without his support, Israel would be ‘totally destroyed’.
‘If it weren’t for Donald Trump – and Bibi Netanyahu worked well with me, but he will tell you, we are the ones with the weapons, we are the ones who got all the deals, we are the ones with the B-2 bombers and everything else,’ Trump told Axios reporter Mark Caputo. ‘If it weren’t for Donald Trump, Israel would be totally destroyed,’ Trump asserted in a warning tone.
The statement echoed Trump’s earlier remarks this week, when he stressed: ‘Without the United States, there would be no Israel.’
When asked further whether he could prevent Israel from attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon to maintain a peace deal with Iran, Trump confirmed: ‘Yes, I will be able to do it.’ ‘They respect me greatly, and they do what I say,’ Trump said confidently.
Trump’s statement coincided with the announcement of an extended ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which came into effect on Friday (19/6) afternoon local time. However, Israel continues to carry out attacks on Lebanese territory, which it claims are targeting Hezbollah.
Earlier this week, Trump suggested to Netanyahu that he adopt a ‘softer approach’ in Lebanon. He reminded Israel that it does not need to ‘knock down a building every time someone from Hezbollah enters it’, referring to Israel’s widespread bombing of residential areas in Lebanon.