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Page F121From§Eachthe afternoon edition — 18 October 2026

Trump endorses Netanyahu to keep from finishing his own war alone

By RuthThe Money Desk

“Trump Endorses Netanyahu as Best U.S. Partner in Tight Israeli Election”, 18 October 2026 (Photo via The New York Times — the original report)

As it ran on the front

The war against Iran was already filed for after America's midterms. This week the president attached a second condition: Israel's election, nine days out on October 27th, with a preferred winner.

Start with what the filing already carried. Before today, the administration's own count on why fuel costs what it does sat with the U.N. ambassador, who told Fox News that $6.48 diesel traces back to the war in Ukraine. That number has a cause assigned to it. The Iran war, the one the president moved behind the midterms instead of in front of them, carries no assigned price at the pump at all. A barrel of oil does not check the press release to find out which war it is supposed to answer to; the ledger just assigns the blame to whichever war is more convenient to name that week.…

…(cont) Five days after that, on October 13th, a reporter asked the president whether he planned to endorse anyone. "We haven't even thought about it," he said, before allowing, in the same breath, that he might.

Five more days closed that gap. Today, October 18th, in a Truth Social post addressed to "the Great People of Israel," the president called Netanyahu a "Great Warrior Prime Minister" who "will never let you down," and said any other winner would be the "wrong Leader." He gave the reason in the same post: without Netanyahu, the United States will have to "finish the job" against Iran alone.

Run the entries in order. Five days from "haven't thought about it" to a campaign speech for a foreign office. Nine days from that speech to the ballot it targets. One war, already pushed past this country's own election, now made conditional on a second country's election first — and the condition is that the preferred candidate wins, not that the war ends.

The vote is nine days out. Whoever wins it, the war does not end on the 27th; the only entry that changes is which election gets credited for keeping it going.

“He delayed his own war past our vote, and this week he told another country how to vote so he doesn't have to run it alone. Call it what it is: outsourcing the finish line on a war he started to a ballot he doesn't even get to cast. Either way the diesel bill and the body count land on us, not on whichever leader gets the credit for the headline.”
Sal
“Every president has a preferred partner in an allied democracy, that's just alliance management, nothing new there. Sure, he said the U.S. finishes the war alone without Netanyahu — that's just candor about burden-sharing, it's not a threat, it's — okay, it's phrased like a threat. But you can't blame a guy for rooting for the horse he's already riding.”
Chip

Earlier in this story

The receipts

Trump promised he'd settle the Ukraine war within 24 hours - CNN counted 53 separate occasions he made that promise CNN fact check, 25 April 2025 (all 53 instances)

Trump backs Netanyahu for reelection, says Israeli PM critical ally against Iran
Washington Examinerright§

President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection, praising the longtime leader as a critical American ally in the war against Iran and warning his exit could leave the United States shouldering more of the conflict. In a lengthy Truth Social post addressed to the Israeli people, Trump…

The ICJ ordered Israel in January 2024 to prevent the destruction and ensure the preservation of evidence of alleged genocide in Gaza ICJ provisional measures order, 26 January 2024 (via ASIL)

Trump endorses Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections
The Hillmainstream§

President Trump on Sunday endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he seeks another term less than a week before Israel holds its elections. Trump directed a Truth Social post to "the Great People of Israel" and called "Bibi" Netanyahu "a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the...

Trump says he hasn’t thought about endorsing in Israeli elections
Washington Examinerright§

President Donald Trump said he has not focused much on whether he will endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his reelection bid. “We haven’t even thought about it,” Trump told reporters Tuesday morning before traveling to Alaska.

Israel’s Elections, Like Ours, Show How Much the Parties Agree On Across Israel's political spectrum, parties agree on one platform: expel Gaza's Palestinians, polls show
Current Affairs§

For those who have not been following the Israeli election, which is coming up on October 27 , a few updates may be in order. The stakes in this political horserace seem high, with all 120 seats in the Knesset up for grabs; depending on what party or parties gain a majority, Benjamin Netanyahu may be replaced as Israel ’s Prime Minister.…

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· Russia and China unite against US over Iran and Cuba in UN speeches from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026

· U.S. military lays groundwork for potential action around Cuba from the morgue, 26 Sep 2026

· The United Nations Security Council has resoundingly rejected a United States bid to extend a global arms embargo on Iran. In a Security Council vote, United States only got support from the Dominican from the morgue, 14 Aug 2020

· U.S. Threatens New Economic War on Iran by Targeting China & Tehran's Other Top Trading Partners from the morgue, 25 Aug 2026

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· Where Trump’s 2026 endorsement record stands after primary season from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026

· U.N. experts say U.S. may have committed war crimes with 2 Iran strikes from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026

· Trump Says 'Big Decision' Coming on Whether to 'Annihilate' Iran from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026

· Pentagon No. 3 frustrates senators in closed-door briefing on Iran war, Trump defense strategy from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· Senate Democrats, minus Fetterman, urge Hegseth to provide receipt for Iran war costs from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· Hegseth on "devastation" to Iran's capabilities from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026

· Trump admits Iran war will not end before midterms from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026

· Iran War Trump Said Would Be Quick Has Now Lasted 6 Months With 'No End In Sight' from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026

· CBO Finds Trump's Iran War Has Already Cost Nearly $40 Billion—And That's a 'Conservative' Estimate from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026

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· Massie launches effort to impeach Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026

· Tillis urges Trump to fire Hegseth over 'inept management' of military from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026

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· Farmer who voted for Trump says farmers are "all just in survival mode" from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026

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· Fake Republican midterm convention site still redirects to Epstein files from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026

· Trump says he has a ‘big decision’ coming up on Iran: ‘Do I want to go in and annihilate them’ from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· Fox News Poll: 71% think Trump administration lacks plan to end Iran war from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· Iran recently downed at least 2 American drones, officials say from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· Big Oil Stocks Surged Due to Iran War—and New Filings Show How President Trump Cashed In from the morgue, 27 Aug 2026

· Live updates: Energy secretary downplays rising gas prices as US, Iran trade strikes from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026

· U.S. Strike on Iranian School May Have Been War Crime, U.N. Report Says from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· UN Inquiry Finds US Strike on Minab, Iran That Killed 123 Children Was War Crime from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· UN investigators conclude ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe certain US strikes in Iran were war crimes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· UN Suspects US War Crimes in Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· US Condemned for 'War Crimes' After Bombing of Wedding Party in Iran from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026

· US investigating if missile hit Iranian wedding ceremony, killing 4 from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026

· Trump says he has a ‘big decision coming up’ on Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· White House issues explosive response to UN-backed report claiming US committed war crimes against world’s No.1 sponsor of terror, Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· Human rights experts: 'Reasonable grounds' to believe US committed war crimes with Iran strikes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· US Energy Consumers Have Spent $121 Billion Extra Since Trump Launched Iran War: Moody's from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· Iran downed at least 2 American drones in recent days, U.S. officials say from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· Iran: Account of US Air Force colonel's rescue 'fictional' from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026

· Consumer Burden of Trump Iran War Exceeds $100 Billion as Oil Prices Pass $100 a Barrel from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026

· 'A Serious and Alarming Threat': US Bombing, Blockade Deepen Iran Medical Crisis from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026

· Consumer Confidence Hits Lowest Level in Months as US Faces 'Trump's Reckless Tariffs and War With Iran' from the morgue, 25 Aug 2026

· U.S. Air Force officer rescued from Iran speaks for the first time to 60 Minutes from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026

· Rep. Thomas Massie forcing vote on Pete Hegseth's impeachment from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026

· Did Johnson Just Adjourn Congress for 7 Weeks to Avoid Massie's Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth? from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026

· The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Massie saying Johnson is sending the House home early to prevent Hegseth impeachment from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026

· ‘You’re Elected to Fight and Kill the Other Side’: How Congress Lost Its Way from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026

· Army combat veteran challenging Mike Lawler calls Hegseth national security 'hazard,' backs impeachment from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026

· Former Air Force secretary says he 'couldn't serve' in Trump administration from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026

· Former Air Force secretary: Hegseth's Pentagon 'dysfunctional' from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026

· House Republicans split over leaving Washington early for campaign trail from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026

· Since 2025, Trump Made More Stock Trades Than All 535 Congress Members Combined from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026

· Fossil Fuel Advertising Contracts Hit Record High as Big Oil Pockets Billions From Iran War from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026

· 'How are we gonna get through this?' Many Americans are struggling as prices rise from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026

· Trump's Top Oil Stocks Have Made Him Up to $4.4 Million Richer During Iran War: Analysis from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026

· 'Trump Did It!': At $5.85 a Gallon, Diesel Price Hits All-Time High in US Thanks to War on Iran from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026

· Gas prices reach Labor Day high amid Iran war from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026

· Trump Hammered Over Iran War That Drove Gas Prices Above $4 Per Gallon Every Day in August for First Time Ever from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026

· Warsh under pressure as Fed weighs rate hike from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026

· Inflation held at 3.4% in August in consumer price index, creating tough choice for Warsh Fed from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026

· Warsh indicates Fed could raise rates to cool inflation from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026

· Key U.S. Bond Rate Near 20-Year High as Oil Prices Keep Climbing from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026

· 10-year Treasury yield hits highest level since 2007, oil surges above $105 as Fed expected to hike interest rates from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026

· Benchmark mortgage rate hits 14-month high as bond yields keep rising from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026

· Benchmark mortgage rate hits highest mark in over a year from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026

· Goldman Sachs warns oil prices could hit $120 as U.S. fuel costs surge from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026

· Massie Moves to Force Impeachment Vote Against Hegseth, Citing Civilian Deaths from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026

· GOP Rep Thomas Massie introduces 8 articles of impeachment against War Secretary Pete Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026

· Republican Rep. Massie moves to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth over Iran war from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026

· Thomas Massie Forces Vote To Impeach Pete Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026

· Pete Hegseth Faces Growing Criticism as War With Iran Rolls On from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026

· Hegseth Quietly Extends Middle East Troop Deployments Into 2027 as Iran War Drags On from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026

· Costco imposes purchase limits on motor oil, hikes prices by nearly double from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026

This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.