Trump stated that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the cutoff months ago, with Trump arguing that Israel no longer needs the assistance. The decision to end the aid is reportedly due to Israel's success as a country, with Trump saying they have outgrown the need for direct taxpayer subsidies.
Trump also joked about potentially moving to Israel and becoming prime minister if American voters ever grew tired of him. The move accelerates the timetable for ending US financial support to Israel, which was previously envisioned to be phased out gradually over the next decade.
According to Trump, the shift was suggested by Netanyahu himself, as a way to neutralize domestic criticism of US foreign aid ahead of the midterm elections. Trump framed the move as a way to defuse a potential election-day target, citing criticism from the left about the $4 billion payment.