“I like Zionism, but I like winning at the Midterms better!”
That is what U.S. President Donald Trump should be saying to his buddy (and tormentor) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Also, he should remind Bibi that the U.S. midterms are closer to his heart than the elections in Israel.
Even those outlets that used to shamelessly grovel to Trump, now clearly unmoored from his orbit, have begun calling his backing of Netanyahu a “fatal second-term mistake.” They think Trump has underestimated the power of patriotic sentiment not only at home, but also in countries outside the United States. Especially in allied countries, where his support as a nationalist leader would add to the strength of local governments and leaders in their own politics.
Now, by supporting what they describe as a Zionist puppet, even his own supporters are likely to vote against him and his allies in government, which appears to be undermining Trump’s ties with the global right.
American farmers have lost patience with him. He distorted the facts on taxes, farm exports and more during his meeting with farmers last month, which the White House said was the largest presidential meeting ever with farmers. Rural approval of Trump has fallen to its lowest level amid rising bankruptcies, and some farmers accuse the GOP of making farming in the country impossible. His rosy portrayal did not change the fact that people saw the reality at the gas stations. Renting a combine harvester, which typically used to cost around $180 per hour in Iowa, now costs around $3,000, thanks to Trump’s war on Iran, which closed the Strait of Hormuz. Smaller operators can no longer afford harvesting machinery.
