Donald Trump said he believes President Obama “is the worst thing that has ever happened to Israel” during a presidential campaign stop in Norfolk, Va., on Saturday.
During a wide-ranging speech, Trump argued that he would better protect Israel. He criticized Obama’s deal with Iran and took issue with the president referring to Iran’s head of state as the “Supreme Leader,” which is the official title used by Iranians.
“He called him the Supreme Leader: ‘Yes, today we talked to the Supreme Leader.’ I’m never calling him the Supreme Leader. Believe me,” Trump said. “When I meet him, I’ll say ‘Hey, hi you doing?’ But I will never call him — can you imagine this guy — he’s calling him the Supreme Leader.”
The Donald, who fell to second in the Washington Examiner‘s most recent GOP presidential power rankings, reiterated his belief that the Obama administration’s deal with Iran has doomed Israel.
“They’re going to have nuclear weapons within 10 years, after 10 years it’s a guarantee,” Trump said. “Israel is really in trouble. I will tell you. Israel is not in trouble if I win.”
“I mean Obama is the worst thing that has ever happened to Israel. Honestly. It’s hard to believe what’s going on there, but if I win Israel will be protected. That I can tell you.”
He also called for the execution of Bowe Bergdahl, a former U.S. Army soldier whom the GOP front-runner identified as “a dirty rotten no good traitor.”
“Twenty years ago he would have been in jail for the rest of his life,” Trump said of Bergdahl. “Ten years ago, eh, who knows, probably a little jail time. Now he’s going to get off with nothing!”
Trump avoided conscription to fight in the Vietnam War and received multiple deferments before receiving a medical disqualification from fighting, according to the Washington Post.
