Donald Trump has now done what Benjamin Netanyahu desperately needed: He has endorsed the Israeli prime minister a week before an election that could determine whether Israel remains a prosperous liberal democracy or continues its slide toward an elected autocracy. Israeli voters should ignore him. And they should prepare for something potentially more consequential: Trump may not accept Netanyahu's removal even if the Israeli electorate votes for change.
The endorsement came Sunday, with Trump praising Netanyahu as a great wartime leader and partner against Iran. He even suggested that without Netanyahu, America might have to confront Iran alone. This is extraordinary language from an American president about the democratic choices of an allied country.
Trump remains popular in Israel, with considerable justification. His recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Abraham Accords diplomacy and willingness to confront Iran earned him genuine gratitude. But supporting Israel and supporting Netanyahu are two very different things.
Increasingly, they may be opposites. The endorsement should surprise nobody. Trump has made a habit of interfering in other countries' elections on behalf of right-wing populists.
In Poland last year, his administration dispatched Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to support nationalist presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, who won. In Hungary this April, Vice President JD Vance traveled to Budapest to campaign for Viktor Orbán, who lost despite years spent consolidating control over the country's institutions. Trump plainly admires strongmen, especially those who portray themselves as the authentic voice of the nation while treating political opponents, independent institutions and inconvenient legal constraints as obstacles to be overcome.
Indeed, he aspires to the exact same style, with Trumpy embellishments like a gold-plated Oval Office. Netanyahu belongs increasingly to this political family. His coalition's assault on judicial independence, hostility toward the security establishment, attacks on independent institutions and efforts to concentrate power reflect a familiar populist project: preserving the appearance of democratic elections while weakening the checks that make democracy meaningful.
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