Axios Reporter on CNN Describes Supposed Bromance Between Trump and Netanyahu as ‘Bullsh*t’

Jackson RichmanDec 10th, 2021, 10:26 am
 

Axios Contributing Reporter Barak Ravid used the word “bullsh*t” live on CNN on Friday in describing the supposed bromance between former President Donald Trump and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In an excerpt of Ravid’s book, Trump’s Peace: The Abraham Accords and the Reshaping of the Middle East, published by Axios on Thursday, Trump told the Israeli journalist that he has not spoken to Netanyahu since leaving office.

“I haven’t spoken to him since,” said Trump. “F**k him.”

Trump’s reported anger came despite Netanyahu not being one of the first world leaders to congratulate Joe Biden on his electoral win as president in November 2020.

Nonetheless, Trump told Ravid, “The first person that congratulated [Biden] was Bibi Netanyahu, the man that I did more for than any other person I dealt with. … Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake.”

Appearing on CNN’s New Day, Ravid, who interviewed Trump twice for the book, said that “what was interesting in this interview is that it broke the myth that there was this bromance between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. And this was a myth that both politicians cultivated for their own domestic politics.”

“Netanyahu, I don’t know if you remember, even during the election campaigns, put up huge billboards with him and Trump standing next to each other with the headline from a different league. This was his, you know, calling card as a politician, his relationship with Trump,” continued Ravid. “As you were surprised in the west, just imagine what people here in Israel thought. Because until today, everybody thought they were best friends. No daylight between them. And from now on, it is clear this was bulls*it.”

“A technical term there I think you could say, Barak,” said co-host Brianna Keilar.

“Clinical,” interjected co-host John Berman.

“Clinical, yes,” said Keillar.

Trump has been described by some as the most pro-Israel U.S. president ever, given what was widely thought to be a close relationship with Netanyahu. Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the U.S. embassy to there from Tel Aviv; recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights; withdrew the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal; killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani; and brokered the Abraham Accords, normalization deals between Israel and four other countries – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

Netanyahu responded to Ravid’s reporting and stood by what he did after Biden’s election.

“I highly appreciate President Trump’s big contribution to Israel and its security. I also appreciate the importance of the strong alliance between Israel and the U.S. and therefore it was important for me to congratulate the incoming President,” said Netanyahu, according to Ravid.

Watch above, via CNN.

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