Trump says Netanyahu will not be arrested during US visit

President Donald Trump declared on July 20, 2026, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested during any visit to the United States, directly countering recent remarks by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The exchange sets the stage for a potential legal and diplomatic clash when Netanyahu is expected to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America." The president defended Netanyahu as a leader fighting against Iran, which he accused of killing protesters and American soldiers. Trump added that only those who led Iran into what he called an "unprecedented SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION" should be arrested.

Trump's statement was a response to Mayor Mamdani's comments in a July 19 interview with The New York Times, where he revealed his administration is consulting with the city's Law Department to determine the extent of his authority to arrest Netanyahu. The mayor cited an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense...