US President Donald Trump joked to reporters that he could run for prime minister in Israel after his current presidency ends.
The surprising comment came during a press briefing where Trump talked about his massive popularity among Israeli citizens.
While speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump bragged about a new survey he received earlier that morning.
Pointing to his high favorability, Trump stated, “I’m right now at 99% in Israel. I could run for prime minister!”
He suggested that moving to Israel to lead its government could be his next career move, adding, “So maybe after I do this, I’ll go to Israel, run for prime minister. I had a poll this morning. I’m 99%.”
This dramatic claim comes at a very tense time. Trump and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just had a long phone conversation to discuss serious military threats from Iran.
Trump also used the briefing to defend Netanyahu, claiming that the Israeli leader is not being treated right by the public in his own country.
While recent independent polls do show that Trump has very high support in Israel compared to other nations, his claim of a perfect ninety-nine percent approval rating is widely seen as a classic exaggeration.
