Democratic strategist David Axelrod on Monday night backed President Trump's reported outburst at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the president's frustration was warranted.
According to three sources briefed on the call, Trump erupted at Netanyahu, calling him “crazy” and shouting, “What the f— are you doing?” The president was reacting to Netanyahu's order for the Israel Defense Forces to strike Hezbollah targets in the Dahieh district of southern Beirut—a move that escalated the long-running conflict in Lebanon and prompted Iran to suspend peace talks with Washington.
Appearing on CNN's “OutFront,” Axelrod told Erin Burnett, “It doesn't sound like a very friendly call.” He went on to say, “Look, I think that the president — his analysis is not wrong. I think — you know — Bibi Netanyahu has done tremendous damage, in my view, to Israel and to Israel's standing in the world.”
Axelrod pointed to reporting from The New York Times that Netanyahu played a key role in convincing Trump to launch the war with Iran—a conflict now in its third month and weighing heavily on the global economy. “What he's mad about is Bibi has created a huge political problem for him, because the economy is the thing that is on the minds of Americans, and he has made it worse,” Axelrod said.
The Times reported in early April that Netanyahu gave a presentation in the White House Situation Room in February that heavily influenced Trump's decision to go to war with Iran. That war has stretched on for three months and increasingly strained the global economy, a top concern for American voters.
Before Monday's call, Netanyahu ordered Israeli forces to attack Hezbollah targets in the Dahieh district of Beirut. Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting since October 2023, despite a ceasefire agreement in November 2024. Iranian officials have said the Israeli strikes violate a separate U.S.-Iran ceasefire reached on April 7.
After the call, Trump announced on Truth Social that Israeli troops would retreat from Beirut and that any forces en route to the capital “have already been turned back.” He added, “Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”
Iran's Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the country's military, said Tehran was suspending talks with the U.S. in protest of the Israeli aggression. But Trump later insisted that negotiations were still moving forward.
The White House has not commented on the reported call. The incident highlights the mounting tensions between Trump and Netanyahu over a war that has become a political liability for the president, especially as the economy remains the top issue for voters. For more on the administration's foreign policy turmoil, see Jon Stewart's blistering critique of Trump's Iran deal failure. Meanwhile, the administration's shifting priorities are evident in Trump's move to install housing chief Pulte as acting intelligence director.
