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U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged Friday that Israel's historically powerful lobbying presence in Congress has significantly weakened, citing changing political dynamics and declining support among younger Republicans.
In an interview with the Daily Caller at the Oval Office, Trump said the Israel lobby, once the "strongest lobby in Congress," no longer maintains its former influence over lawmakers. The comments come as polling data shows growing skepticism toward Israel within the Republican Party's younger demographic.
"Israel had the strongest lobby in Congress of anything or body, or of any company or corporation or state that I've ever seen," Trump told Daily Caller correspondent Reagan Reese. "Today, it doesn't have that strong a lobby. It's amazing."
Trump attributed the shift to what he described as changing congressional dynamics, specifically referencing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and progressive lawmakers he called "lunatics" who have altered the political landscape around Israel discussions.
A March Pew Research Center poll found that 53% of surveyed U.S. adults held unfavorable views of Israel, up from 42% in 2022. Among Republicans under 50, unfavorable views increased to 50% from 35% during the same period.
"There was a time where you couldn't speak bad, if you wanted to be a politician, you couldn't speak badly," Trump said. "But today, you have, you know, AOC plus three, and you have all these lunatics, and they've really, they've changed it."
The president suggested the decline began approximately 15 years ago, saying Israel previously had "total control over Congress" but no longer maintains that position.
Trump also commented on public perception of Israel's ongoing conflict in Gaza, stating that while Israel "may be winning the war," the country is "not winning the world of public relations." He referenced the October 7 Hamas attacks, which he called "a truly horrible day," while noting that some people have "forgotten" about the incident.
The shifting Republican stance on Israel has become increasingly visible within Trump's political circle. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a longtime Trump ally, recently became the first House Republican to describe Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide."
Meanwhile, Steven Bannon, another Trump supporter, has spent recent months questioning Israel's status as a U.S. ally and calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration untrustworthy.
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