U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that he described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "f****** crazy" during a heated phone call over Israel's military actions in Lebanon, acknowledging that he used the phrase while pressing Israel to scale back planned strikes.
In an interview released this week on the New York Post podcast "Pod Force One," Trump said reports that he used expletive‑laden language toward Netanyahu in a Monday call were accurate, after being asked directly whether he called the Israeli leader "f****** crazy."
He said he made the remarks while expressing frustration that Netanyahu was "constantly fighting with Lebanon," adding that he was "a little bit perturbed" by Israel's expanded operations there, according to Axios.
Trump nonetheless stressed that he and Netanyahu still have what he described as a strong working relationship and said they had "worked very well together" despite the confrontation.
Trump's confirmation follows multiple media reports that described a roughly 15‑minute, expletive‑filled call in which he sharply criticized Israel's escalation against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
According to accounts from U.S. officials cited by outlets including Axios and others, Trump warned Netanyahu that "everybody hates Israel because of this" and said he was effectively keeping the Israeli leader "out of prison" by backing him on the international stage.
During the call, Trump reportedly demanded, "What the f*** are you doing?" as Israel prepared potential strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, NPR reported.
The phone call came as Israel signaled it was ready to intensify operations in Lebanon, with Netanyahu authorizing strikes around Beirut after months of cross‑border fire with Hezbollah.
U.S. officials have expressed concern that a broader Israeli campaign in Lebanon could derail ongoing U.S. diplomatic efforts involving Iran and further destabilize the region.
Trump has claimed that his intervention helped secure a partial halt to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, although Israeli forces have continued limited operations and Netanyahu has publicly reserved the option of further action.
Netanyahu has not publicly confirmed Trump's specific remarks but has maintained that Israel will act against Hezbollah as needed to protect its security, even as it faces mounting international criticism over the scope of its operations, as per the Tribune.
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