Trump Gave ‘Greenlight’ To Israel Before Gaza Bombing
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed this week that Israel consulted President Donald Trump on Monday regarding its airstrikes in Gaza.
“The Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza tonight,” Leavitt stated during an interview with Fox News.
Israel carried out some of the deadliest airstrikes in the Palestinian territory since a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas militants was reached on January 19. According to Palestinian medical sources in Gaza, dozens of lives were lost.
“As President Trump has made it clear – Hamas, the Houthis, Iran, all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America, will see a price to pay. All hell will break loose,” the White House representative emphasized.
Previously, Trump had publicly issued a stark warning, stating that Hamas must release all hostages in Gaza or face severe consequences.
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, resulting in 1,200 deaths and approximately 250 hostages being taken, according to Israeli officials. This event ignited the latest wave of violence in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a separate incident, Washington reported conducting fresh airstrikes in Yemen on Saturday, targeting the Houthi movement. According to the Houthis, at least 53 people were killed, though Reuters was unable to verify the numbers independently.
Three months into his second term, President Donald Trump has reached his highest approval rating yet. Additionally, more Americans now believe the nation is on the right track than at any time since 2004, based on a newly released NBC News poll.
Despite these gains, Trump has yet to win over the majority of Americans. According to the survey, 54% of respondents disapprove of his handling of the economy, marking the first time he has lost majority approval on this issue in NBC’s polling history.
“Even so, the survey found that voters generally feel Trump is bringing ‘the right kind of change’ on the key issues — even tariffs,” the New York Post reported, citing NBC News findings. “More Americans support his changes to trade policy (41%) than oppose them (38%), according to NBC.”
NBC poll results indicate that Trump is being given some flexibility regarding inflation: 40% believe his policies are having a positive impact, 30% think they are making things worse, and 28% feel they have no effect, according to The Post.
The survey also underscores Trump’s divisive nature, with his approval rating among Republicans at a strong 90%, compared to only 4% among Democrats. This disparity is the largest gap in presidential approval ratings between party lines in the past 80 years, according to NBC.
Overall, Trump’s approval rating stands at 47%, while 51% disapprove—matching his highest rating in the poll. He previously reached this approval level in early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic and again in October 2018.
NBC’s data aligns with other polling, with RealClearPolitics’ latest average showing Trump at 48.2% approval, as noted by The Post.
Trump’s current approval rating surpasses his first-term numbers at this stage (44%), though it still falls short of where former President Joe Biden stood at the same point (53%), according to RCP.
A positive indicator for Trump is that 44% of registered voters now feel the country is heading in the right direction, the highest percentage in two decades. Meanwhile, 54% believe the nation is on the wrong track.
Although voter sentiment remains largely pessimistic, this is the most optimistic outlook recorded in the poll since President George W. Bush’s tenure 20 years ago.
This marks a significant shift from the previous administration. Last September, only 28% of voters surveyed by NBC News believed the country was on the right track, while 65% felt it was headed in the wrong direction.
One of Trump’s most notable moves in his second term has been the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial initiative that has drawn protests from government workers and heavy criticism from Democrats.
Despite DOGE’s unpopularity (47% negative vs. 41% positive), voters largely see the concept as beneficial, with 46% supporting its establishment and 40% opposing it, The Post reported.
Trump has remained a staunch advocate of DOGE and Elon Musk, despite political pushback over the cost-cutting measures aimed at reducing the federal deficit.
In another political shift, Democratic favorability has dropped to a historic low of 27%, with 55% of respondents holding a negative view of the party—the worst rating in NBC News’ polling history.
A similar trend appeared in a CNN poll, which recorded the lowest favorability rating for Democrats in its polling history, with only 29% viewing the party favorably, according to The Post.
Voter skepticism toward media coverage of Trump remains high, with 46% believing he has been treated too harshly, 25% feeling coverage has been overly supportive, and 24% approving of the media’s approach.