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Max Blumenthal discusses what he calls the all-encompassing, defining influence of pro-Israel interests in the United States, arguing that Israeli influence has shaped Donald Trump’s career and policy from the beginning. He traces this to Trump’s inner circle and to figures connected to pro-Israel billionaires in New York, such as Charles Kushner, Howard Lutnick, and Steve Witkoff, and to the Adelsons’ network around the Republican Jewish Coalition. He cites Trump’s early appearances with Adelson-backed circles and his 2015-2016 remarks at the RJC convention, where Trump suggested making a deal between Israelis and Palestinians and referenced a Palestinian state, which Blumenthal says alarmed the Adelsons and the RJC.
Blumenthal asserts that Trump’s 2016 rise was financed by Israel-first billionaires, with Paul Singer shifting from initially opposing Trump to backing him for the Iran policy he desired. He claims Singer’s money helped Trump move toward a war with Iran, aligning with figures like John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, and other pro-Israel advisors who provided influence, while Bannon was sidelined. He argues Tucker Carlson and other voices in the first term may have constrained war with Iran, but that the second term brought even more pro-Israel personnel, including Mike Waltz in national security circles, and Marco Rubio continuing to push the Israel-aligned line.
Blumenthal details what he describes as a cultivated, orchestrated process of influence over Trump and his advisers, culminating in a February 11, 2020 or 2021 meeting in the Situation Room where Netanyahu dictated terms to Trump to strike Iran. He describes the room as divided between an “A Team” of pro-Israel figures (Susie Wiles, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, John Ratcliffe, and others) and a dissenting “B Team” (J. D. Vance, Tulsi Gabbard, and another figure) who had little real influence. He asserts that Netanyahu, with Mossad director David Barnea briefing Ratcliffe, steered Trump toward war with Iran, and that many within the administration recognized the war’s insanity but did not oppose it due to fear of repercussions.
Blumenthal contends that the ceasefire in the region was sabotaged by Israel and that President Trump’s posture is effectively dictated by Israeli leadership. He cites Rubio’s post-briefing disclosure that Israel would attack Iran regardless of U.S. preference, and says the ceasefire’s terms, as drafted by the State Department for Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, indicate that Lebanon should be included; Israel, he says, launched a major assault in Lebanon—killing hundreds and attacking areas around Beirut and the American University of Beirut—in an attempt to provoke Iran and place the United States on the spot to reject Lebanon’s inclusion.
He argues this demonstrates a “coup” in the White House, with Trump acting as “the first Israeli president,” and says the ceasefire is a hoax being sabotaged by Israel. Blumenthal points to domestic political consequences in the United States, noting Joe Kent’s resignation as a sign of MAGA discontent and arguing that Netanyahu has destabilized presidencies across the board. He claims that within MAGA, overt Israeli influence exists in influential media and political circles, including financiers and podcasters.
Blumenthal lists prominent figures he claims are effectively Israeli foreign agents within MAGA infrastructure: Josh Hammer, Dennis Prager, Larry Elder, Hugh Hewitt, Dinesh D’Souza, Sebastian Gorka, Brandon Tatum, Todd Starnes, Laura Trump, and Don Jr.; and he asserts that Salem Media Group operates as an Israeli foreign agent, with Brad Parscale as a registered agent overseeing a contract between Israel’s foreign ministry and Clock Tower Strategies, delivering tens of millions in payments to influencers. He claims Laura Trump and Don Jr. own a stake in Salem Media, signaling a merger between the Trump orbit and Israeli interests.
Finally, Blumenthal argues there is a fusion of ideological zeal and institutionalized influence, with a battleground between MAGA voices not paid by Israel and others who are funded to propagate Israel-first narratives, and he predicts a major clash in upcoming party conventions over U.S. policy toward Israel. He concludes that the clock is running out for Israel and that the country’s strategy relies on continuing aggressive actions, including bombing, to resolve its problems.