Former President Trump on Friday claimed there will be a major war in the Middle East and potentially a “third world war” if he does not win November’s election.
Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, one day after Netanyahu met at the White House with President Biden and Vice President Harris.
“If we win, it’ll be very simple. It’s all going to work out and very quickly,” Trump told reporters at the start of the meeting. “If we don’t, you’re going to end up with major wars in the Middle East and maybe a third world war. You are closer to a third world war right now than at any time since the second world war. You’ve never been so close, because we have incompetent people running our country.”
The former president has previously said the world is on the brink of another world war with the fighting in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump has also made dire predictions about what might happen if he does not win back the White House, including a claim that the stock market would crash.
His meeting with Netanyahu on Friday came amid upheaval in the presidential campaign. Biden announced Sunday he would not seek reelection in November and endorsed Harris as the nominee. Harris has quickly consolidated support among Democrats and is the likely presidential nominee for the party in November.
Harris met with Netanyahu separate from Biden on Thursday, which she described as “frank and constructive.” She told reporters after the discussion that Israel has a right to defend itself, but she has “serious concern” about the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
Trump has been critical at times of Netanyahu since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel that killed more than 1,100 people and the subsequent fighting in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
But on Friday, he sought to underscore his support for Israel, citing his administration’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and impose sanctions.
“We’ve had a good relationship. I was very good to Israel, better than any president’s ever been,” Trump said.
The Biden administration has expressed optimism that a cease-fire deal and the release of hostages being held by Hamas is within reach.
Trump said Friday it was “not an acceptable situation” and questioned the condition of those still being held.
“They have to be given back immediately because there can be no way they’re in good shape,” he said.
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