U.S. President Donald Trump has reinforced his unwavering support for Israel, despite appearing to initially show tolerance for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plans to recognize Palestinian statehood.
This comes amid growing discomfort within Trump’s MAGA base over Israel’s continued military campaign in Gaza.
While meeting Starmer in Scotland earlier this week, Trump did not voice any direct objection to the UK’s new stance.
However, during a press briefing aboard Air Force One upon returning to Washington, Trump made it clear that the United States does not share the UK’s position.
Referring to Starmer’s promise to recognize a Palestinian state, Trump criticized the move as essentially “rewarding Hamas.”
“We didn’t even talk about it,” Trump said, distancing himself from Starmer’s pledge.
“If you do that, you’re rewarding Hamas. I don’t believe they deserve that,” he added.
Trump’s remarks aligned with statements from the U.S. State Department.
In it, spokesperson Tammy Bruce condemned the recognition plan as an insult to the victims of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which sparked the current conflict.
Trump’s firm words marked a shift from the more neutral tone he had struck earlier in the week.
While standing alongside Starmer at Trump’s Turnberry resort in Scotland, he appeared indifferent to the UK’s recognition plan, saying, “I’m not going to take a position. He can take his own.”
This softer tone contrasted sharply with Trump’s sharp rebuke of French President Emmanuel Macron,.
Macron had recently made a similar promise to formally recognize Palestinian statehood.
Dismissing Macron’s statement outright, Trump said, “What he says doesn’t matter,” though he called Macron “a good guy.”
Interestingly, Trump also appeared to distance himself from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the issue of humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Despite Netanyahu’s insistence that reports of starvation in Gaza are exaggerated, Trump voiced skepticism.
“From what I’ve seen on television, those children look very hungry,” he said.
“There’s real starvation, you can’t fake that.”
This divergence from Netanyahu comes as several MAGA-aligned figures increasingly voice discontent with Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Polling also shows a gradual erosion of public support in the U.S. for Israel’s military actions.
According to a recent Gallup poll, only 32% of Americans now support Israel’s handling of the conflict, down significantly since November 2023.
Although Republican support remains strong at 71%, cracks are beginning to show.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House strategist and influential voice in the conservative media sphere, warned that Trump’s comments on the Gaza famine could further reduce pro-Israel sentiment among his supporters.
“Among under-30 MAGA voters, there’s almost no support for Israel,” Bannon said.
“Older MAGA supporters are also losing patience, especially with Netanyahu dragging the U.S. deeper into another Middle East war.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene, the controversial far-right congresswoman from Georgia, surprised many by denouncing Israel’s actions as “genocide.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote: “It’s easy and right to condemn the horror of Oct 7 and demand the return of hostages.
“But so is acknowledging the genocide, starvation, and humanitarian crisis happening in Gaza.”
Despite growing dissent, senior figures in Trump’s circle continue to affirm his loyalty to Israel.
Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, told Fox News that Trump’s relationship with Netanyahu remains intact.
“There’s no rift between them,” Huckabee stated. “If anything, their relationship is stronger than ever.”
Nonetheless, concerns are emerging about the political ramifications of the Gaza conflict.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who is set to retire, acknowledged that the situation could present challenges.
“Americans are compassionate. They don’t like to see suffering,” Tillis said.
“I don’t think President Trump does either. If you see people starving, you try to help.”
As Trump prepares for another presidential bid, his ability to navigate between traditional support for Israel and the shifting sentiments of his base will likely remain a complex balancing act.