WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump said on Election Day that the United States will stop providing Israel with roughly $4 billion a year in funding by the end of this year, a stunning declaration that, if carried out, would upend one of the longest-running pillars of American foreign policy. The remarks, reported by Reuters, came in a Fox News interview as voters headed to the polls in the 2026 midterms.

The White House and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not responded to Reuters' requests for comment as of the report. Because the claim rests on a single wire report of the president's own interview, many details, including how the cutoff would work legally, remain unclear.

What Trump Said

According to Reuters, Trump told "Fox & Friends" that he and Netanyahu had struck a deal under which the U.S. would stop its annual payments, saying the two had agreed "months ago" to end them. He said the United States would not be paying Israel by the end of the year, but that Washington would help Israel if it needed it.

Trump framed the decision as a matter of Israeli self-sufficiency and domestic American politics. He said Israel does not need the money, and he complained that the funding exposes the U.S. to criticism from what he called lunatics, naming Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. He described the aid as a "bad talking point" for critics on the left who portray it as unfair.

Reuters reported that the U.S. would continue to sell weapons to Israel, so the change would affect grant-style military assistance rather than arms sales.

The Legal and Budget Reality

Trump gave no details on how the funding would end at year's end. The current Memorandum of Understanding between Washington and Jerusalem, which provides about $3.8 billion a year in military aid, runs through September 2028. Aid at that scale is also set through annual appropriations bills that only Congress can pass, meaning a unilateral halt would collide with the legislative branch, now headed for Democratic control after Tuesday's results.

Analysts quoted by Reuters pointed to the timing. Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the curious issue was timing, while Natan Sachs of the Middle East Institute suggested Trump was trying to take the issue off the table by telling critics it is a moot point.

Israel's Political Backdrop

The comments land at a delicate moment in Israel. Reuters reported that an Israeli election held October 27 cost Netanyahu his governing majority. Opposition bloc leader Gadi Eisenkot responded on X that Israelis can no longer rely on Netanyahu and must replace him.

Netanyahu himself had signaled for months that Israel expected the era of U.S. military aid to wind down. Reuters noted that in October he told Israelis to prepare for a world in which such aid no longer flows because "America has changed."

An Iran War and a Shifting Alliance

Trump's remarks also arrive while the United States and Israel remain in conflict with Iran, a war that has driven up fuel prices and shaped the midterm campaign. Supporters of ending aid, including a growing number of voices on both the populist right and the progressive left, argue that Israel is wealthy enough to fund its own defense. Critics warn that abruptly ending assistance could weaken deterrence at a dangerous moment and signal to adversaries that the alliance is fraying.

What It Means for Americans

For taxpayers, $4 billion a year is a small slice of the federal budget, but the political meaning is large. The statement shows the shifting politics of Israel policy inside both parties, and it may become an early flashpoint for the new Democratic Congress, which will decide whether to appropriate any funds regardless of what the president says.

The key questions now: Will the White House issue formal guidance? Will Netanyahu confirm that a deal exists? And will congressional appropriators, now led by Democrats, follow the president's lead or fight to preserve the existing agreement? Until those questions are answered, treat the announcement as a major claim from the president, not a finalized policy change.

Reporting based on a Reuters account of Trump's Fox News interview, published November 3, 2026. This story will be updated as the White House and Israeli officials respond.