US President Donald Trump criticized the diminishing influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups in Congress and political circles in Washington. He made this statement in an exclusive pre-recorded interview for the highly partisan program America Speaks on the Real America’s Voice (RAV) channel, which supports the MAGA movement. The interview aired on Tuesday.
In response to a question from host Wayne Allyn Root about the “problem” of the “communist color revolution” allegedly sweeping “America’s largest cities”, Trump noted that the biggest change he has observed over the past decade is “what has happened with Israel and the Jewish people”. He added: “If you go back 20-25 years, they had the most powerful lobby in Washington. Now everyone… if you look at the House of Representatives… if you look at the Democrats in the House of Representatives… it’s really quite amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
These comments came after a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, which revealed a sharp decline in support for Israel as a US ally, amid growing opposition among Democrats and signs of polarization within the Republican base.
Donald Trump is not the first to acknowledge the decline in support for Israel in American politics. In September 2025, in an interview with White House correspondent Reagan Reese for the right-wing website Daily Caller, founded by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Trump already acknowledged the decline in support for Israel among young Republicans. He later explained to Daily Caller that the “iron” support for Israel in Congress is now a thing of the past.
Trump criticizes Schumer
In the 42-minute audio recording for RAV, Trump also disparagingly commented on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in US history and a long-time supporter of Israel. “Look at Schumer. He has become practically a Palestinian,” Trump stated.
Trump made similar comments in 2025. During a meeting in the Oval Office in March 2025, Trump told journalists that “Schumer, as far as I’m concerned, is a Palestinian,” and repeated this comment during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in July. He rebuked the Democrat, who, according to him, once “100 percent supported Israel.” At the time, Trump’s statements drew widespread disapproval and condemnation from Jewish and Muslim groups, who viewed them as a xenophobic slur and an attempt to use the word “Palestinian” as a political insult against Schumer.
In March 2024, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a change in leadership in Israel, describing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a politician who is “too willing to tolerate civilian casualties in Gaza.” This was the harshest criticism of Israel by a Jewish-American Democrat since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023. Schumer also expressed support for a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the same time, the veteran senator generally remains a staunch supporter of Israel.
Recently, Schumer criticized President Trump for his actions regarding the US and Israel war against Iran, noting that his “again and again” approach… is not a strategy, but a “recipe for total disaster.” He also added: “we continue to move backward… it’s incredible what a fiasco this war is.”
Source: Al Jazeera
