Trump says US will end $4 billion yearly aid to Israel while keeping arms sales open

Trump's announcement

On Tuesday, 3 November 2026, President Donald Trump told Fox News in a phone interview that the United States will stop providing about $4 billion a year in aid to Israel. He said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had raised the idea with him and that the two had been discussing it for a couple of years. Trump argued that Israel does not need the money and that it is a large sum for Washington to spend. The remarks came on the day of the US midterm elections.

Trump put the arrangement in terms of exchange, suggesting that the support could be seen as barter.

“Look, we give them $4 billion of things and money, and they don't need it.”

Timing and terms

Accounts of the timing differ. Several versions of Trump's remarks put the end of the payments at the close of 2026, and he is quoted saying the two sides had agreed on the change months earlier. AP's report describes the halt as beginning in 2027. The arrangement leaves room for arms sales, since Trump said Israel can buy what it wants from the United States.

“We've already agreed that by the end of this year we won't be paying Israel.”

One French headline gives the cut as 3.8 billion, a figure that differs from the $4 billion used elsewhere in the coverage.

Israel's purchases of American weapons

Trump said Israel will still be able to buy American weapons, a point the Italian reporting rendered as Israel being free to buy whatever it wants. AP frames the change as Israel shifting to buying military hardware instead of receiving the yearly aid. Trump added that the US would help Israel if it needed help. He described Israel as a prosperous country that no longer needs a structural subsidy.

Domestic politics and the midterms

AP reports that US aid to Israel has become a Democratic talking point, with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed cited as an example. Trump's comments were aired on the day voters went to the polls for the midterms. According to the Greek report, some Democratic and left-wing politicians have used the funding to criticize Republicans. The remarks therefore enter an existing campaign debate over the aid.

Other remarks in the interview

The Greek report says Trump also told Fox and Friends that the United States is close to a trade agreement with Canada. Under that deal, Canada would supply fertilizer to the United States without tariffs, according to the same account. The Israel remarks were the central topic of the interview. The Canada comments have not been confirmed by the other accounts used for this summary.