President Donald Trump left Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade confused Tuesday after casually revealing that he had brokered a deal to end U.S. aid to Israel “by the end of this year.”
Calling into Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Trump boasted about his administration’s accomplishments on border security and accused former President Joe Biden of allowing noncitizens “who hate Israel” to come into the country “by the millions.” Trump then pivoted to reveal a supposed deal he had brokered with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“As far as paying Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I have made a deal… we give Israel $4 billion a year, and we made a deal months ago that we’re stopping [payments], and they’re fine with it, because they’ve become a very successful country, they don’t need it, and we won’t be paying anymore, Israel,” Trump said.
“So it’s just a wasted thing because we’ve already agreed that by the end of this year, we won’t be paying Israel. Now, we’ll help Israel if they need it, you know, they’ve been a great ally and we’ve been the greatest of all allies — to many, many countries, we’ve been great to many countries!”
Discussions about ending U.S. aid to Israel — the single largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid in history, having received more than $300 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars since its founding in 1948 — gained traction this year. However, discussions have centered on a plan to phase out aid over a decade, not by the end of this year.
Netanyahu has backed the plan to phase out U.S. aid but has also championed a separate push to integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries in an “unprecedented” fashion, one critics warn would be near-impossible to unwind.
Trump’s remark immediately caught the attention of Kilmeade, who jumped in to clarify what the president meant.
“So, Mr. President, you’re saying you’re not giving them $4 billion worth of weapons?” Kilmeade asked, likely referencing the roughly $4 billion in military assistance the United States gives to Israel every year.
Trump brushed off the question and instead bragged that the U.S. had secured “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz — a claim undercut by U.S. strikes in the strait Monday — as Kilmeade tried, and failed, to pin him down.
“You’re not — you’re no longer — you’re not — OK,” Kilmeade said, unsuccessfully trying to get Trump to answer his question.
Later in the interview, Kilmeade pressed Trump on the matter again, to which the president finally responded.
“Why? Because they don’t need it, Brian,” Trump said.
"By the end of this year, we won't be paying Israel"- Trump just now on Fox News https://t.co/6vqTKEeIOm
— Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) November 3, 2026