President Trump announced on Election Day morning that the United States will stop sending Israel $4 billion a year once 2026 ends, saying America’s closest Middle East ally simply does not need the money anymore.
Speaking with host Brian Kilmeade on “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday, the president said the decision came out of an agreement he reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several months ago.
“Why? Because they don’t need it, Brian,” Trump said.
The president argued that the annual payment has become an easy line of attack for the left, which he said uses it to portray Republicans as unfair to American taxpayers. He singled out Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, as an example of the candidates he said were exploiting the issue, calling them “lunatics” who fail to see how strong the country has become.
Trump said Republicans should not have to take that kind of criticism when the aid is no longer necessary. He noted that Israel receives more from the United States than any other country and asked why, by that logic, everyone shouldn’t get $4 billion.
The president said the funding could be described in a number of ways, whether as barter, military aid or cash, but that the bottom line was the same: Israel is getting billions in goods and money it can do without. He added that he and Netanyahu had discussed the matter and were in agreement, and said the aid had become almost too easy a target for opponents.
Trump stressed that the change does not mean America is walking away from its ally. He said Washington will still help Israel if the need arises, and according to the Associated Press, the U.S. will continue selling weapons to the Jewish state as Israel shifts to buying military hardware rather than receiving it as aid.
It was not immediately clear which specific funding stream the president was referring to. Under a 10-year memorandum of understanding that took effect in 2018, the United States provides Israel with $3.8 billion in military assistance each year. That agreement runs through 2028, and talks have been underway about what American support for Israel should look like after it expires.
The announcement marks a notable shift in one of the longest-standing pillars of U.S. policy in the region. In March 2025, the Trump administration authorized a separate $4 billion military aid package for Israel after the second Gaza ceasefire collapsed.
The timing of the remarks, delivered as Americans headed to the polls, underscores how central Israel has become in this year’s campaigns. Support for Israel among Democratic voters has dropped sharply, and a number of candidates critical of the Jewish state have gained traction within the party.
The president framed the move as a win for both countries, arguing that ending the payments removes a political weapon from Democrats while recognizing that Israel has grown strong enough to stand on its own financially.
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