WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States is cutting off $4 billion in aid to Israel at the end of the year because "they don't need it."
Trump, speaking to Fox News on the morning of Election Day, suggested that U.S. aid to Israel has become a powerful political talking point for Democrats and questioned why Republicans should "suffer the slings" from candidates like Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed when Israel isn't in need of assistance.
"It's a bad talking point because when you say, 'Why don't we give everybody $4 billion?' Israel's our number one; we give them more than anybody else, and they no longer need it," he said.
The U.S. provides Israel $3.8 billion of military aid a year under a 10-year memorandum of understanding that began in 2018. It is set to expire in 2028. Trump appeared to be suggesting he would terminate it at the end of this year.
Trump said that if Israel needed the money, he would keep the aid going, but added that he "reached an agreement" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The last reported call between the two leaders was on Saturday. It was unclear if they had spoken since then.
Netanyahu has spoken openly about the need to end U.S. military aid to Israel, but never on such a short timeline. In May, the U.S. and Israel began formal talks on a new agreement to replace the memorandum of understanding, though it was not clear if any framework was in place.
Just days before last week's election, Netanyahu told an Israeli news channel that the end of U.S. aid was coming. "If you think we're going to continue receiving what I secured twice, tens of billions of dollars in American aid for the defense budget, get used to the fact that we won't," he said.
In March 2025, the Trump administration also authorized a $4 billion military aid package to Israel after the collapse of the second Gaza ceasefire.
Pressed on Fox on whether he was cutting off $4 billion in military aid or $4 billion as a check, he said, "Any way you want to define it."
"You can consider it barter. You can consider military aid or cash. What we give them — $4 billion of things and money — and they don't need it. And I was approached by Bibi Netanyahu, and we've been talking about it for a couple of years because it's a lot of money," Trump said.
He said Israel "can buy whatever they want."
