Trump Demands Israel Pardon Netanyahu, Calls Corruption Trial ‘Nonsense’

Donald Trump has once again thrown his weight behind a controversial figure facing legal scrutiny, this time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a recent interview with Israel’s public broadcaster Kan News, Trump blasted Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trials as “nonsense” and publicly urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant Netanyahu an immediate pardon.

Trump’s demand comes despite Herzog’s insistence on following legal procedures, including a full review of the pardon request and calls for plea bargain negotiations. Herzog has made clear he will not bypass standard protocols, emphasizing the need for due process and prosecutorial input before any pardon decision.

Ignoring these safeguards, Trump claimed Israel “wouldn’t exist” without his cooperation with Netanyahu and insisted the prime minister must be free to “focus on the war,” not on legal battles. He dismissed Herzog’s push for a plea bargain, stating Netanyahu “cannot accept” anything less than a full pardon.

This episode highlights Trump’s ongoing pattern of using presidential pardon powers and public pressure to shield political allies from accountability. Just as Trump pardoned January 6 rioters and other loyalists accused of crimes, here he is demanding an extrajudicial pardon for Netanyahu, undermining judicial independence in a foreign democracy.

Herzog’s refusal to grant an immediate pardon is grounded in legal precedent and the principle that pardons should not be used to circumvent the rule of law. Justice Ministry experts have warned that pardoning Netanyahu before conviction and without a plea deal would be unprecedented.

Trump’s brazen interference in Israel’s judicial process is a stark reminder of how authoritarian impulses can cross borders, threatening democratic norms and accountability everywhere. We will be watching closely to see if Herzog stands firm or caves to Trump’s demands, as the stakes for democratic integrity in Israel and beyond could not be higher.