Palestinian-American academic Bishara Bahbah – the chair of a group once known as “Arab Americans for Trump” – hammered President Donald Trump on Saturday over the U.S. war against Iran, which he argued was launched at the behest of Israel.

“I believe that the president was played. Early on during the war, the president had admitted publicly that he was told that Iran was about to attack the United States. As a result, he went into this war,” Bahbah said during an appearance on CNN Saturday.

“The story in Washington is not very clear. Clearly, his advisers have not told him – with the exception of Vice President JD Vance – what he needed to hear.”

Arab Americans for Trump aggressively campaigned for Trump in the 2024 election, and helped the president secure a victory in states including Michigan and Arizona. However, the group rebranded last year after Trump’s proposal to take “ownership” of the Gaza Strip.

Bahbah was asked whether he regretted voting for Trump and advocating for other Arab Americans to support him. His response did not bode well for the Republican Party’s election prospects with Arab Americans this November.

“I can tell you that our community at the present time is up in arms, our community is not happy with the current promises of this administration, and our community is really lining up to vote, potentially, quite differently in the upcoming midterm election,” Bahbah said.

President Donald Trump praised “Allah” – the Arabic word for God – for the second time in recent weeks Saturday morning in a lengthy rant about the current state of the U.S. war against Iran, complaining about media coverage of the conflict and the United States’ failure to achieve its stated war objectives.

“The Fake News Media has lost total credibility, not that they had any to begin with. Because of their massive Trump Derangement Syndrome (Sometimes referred to as TDS!), they love saying that Iran is ‘winning’ when, in fact, everyone knows that they are LOSING, and LOSING BIG!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

“Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft apparatus is nonexistent, Radar is dead, their Missile and Drone Factories have been largely obliterated along with the Missiles and Drones themselves and, most importantly, their longtime ‘Leaders’ are no longer with us, praise be to Allah!”

U.S. officials are currently in Pakistan to engage in negotiations with Iranian leaders about bringing about an end to the U.S. war against Iran. On Friday, Trump issued inflammatory remarks toward Iranian negotiators, stating that the “only reason they are alive today is to negotiate.”

President Donald Trump lashed out at Virginia Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger early morning Saturday after having attended a fundraising event at the Trump Winery in Charlottesville, claiming to be “embarrassed” at the "destruction" of Virginia and other Democrat-led states.

“This went from a thriving and powerful place, one envied by all, to a Commonwealth run by a person who has no concept of Low Taxes and Economic Strength,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

“People that voted for Spanberger are saying to themselves, ‘Why did I do that, what have I done?’ As President of the United States, I am embarrassed to watch the Destruction of once Great and Thriving States! These politicians are all sinking in the Polls, but that doesn’t help because they will create Trillions of Dollars worth of Destruction — Incalculable amounts.”