Trump says Israel no longer has 'strongest lobby in US Congress'

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Israel has lost its "total control" of Congress, describing the shift as “amazing.”

Speaking to the right-wing outlet Daily Caller, Trump was asked about waning Republican support for Israel. He responded by recalling what he viewed as Israel’s once-unrivaled lobbying power in Washington.

“Israel had the strongest lobby in Congress of anything or anybody, or of any company or corporation or state that I’ve ever seen. Today, it doesn’t have that strong a lobby,” he said. “It’s amazing. They had total control over Congress, and now they don’t. I’m a little surprised to see that.”

During his presidency, Trump positioned himself as one of Israel’s staunchest allies, overseeing policies that openly favored the country and taking little action to address its ongoing war in Gaza. But in recent months, cracks have appeared within his own political base, with several Republicans criticizing the US’s unconditional military and financial support for Israel.

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Far-right figures such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and commentator Tucker Carlson have argued that unchecked spending on Israel contradicts Trump’s “America First” agenda.

That criticism is echoed in public opinion. A Quinnipiac University poll published last week found 60 percent of Americans oppose sending additional military aid to Israel, while just 32 percent back it. This marks the highest opposition and lowest support recorded since the university began tracking the question in November 2023, shortly after the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel.

Among Democrats, 75 percent oppose supplying arms to Israel, as do 66 percent of Independents. Republican voters remain more supportive, with 56 percent in favor of continued military aid and 36 percent opposed, though other surveys indicate younger Republicans are increasingly skeptical of US support for Israel.

At the same time, sympathy for Palestinians has risen. According to Quinnipiac, 37 percent of respondents said they side more with Palestinians, compared to 36 percent who support Israelis, while 27 percent expressed no preference.