Donald J. Trump

Former President

He vowed to “fully support” Israel, but he has also criticized Israeli leadership.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR After Hamas attacked Israel in October, former President Donald J. Trump first blamed what he described as weakness from President Biden — but, days later, he criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Israeli intelligence, saying they had not been prepared.

Nikki Haley

Former Governor of South Carolina Dropped out

She wants the U.S. to give Israel “whatever” support it needs in responding to Hamas.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR “I would tell Israel, whatever it is you need to not just get your country back, to eliminate the terrorists, we should do,” Nikki Haley said in Iowa after Hamas’s attack in October. She emphasized that blank-check endorsement of aid at a Republican debate in November, saying the United States should “support Israel with whatever they need, whenever they need it” and adding: “The last thing we need to do is to tell Israel what to do. The only thing we should be doing is supporting them.”

Ron DeSantis

Governor of Florida Dropped out

He has been a staunch supporter of Israel and is unsympathetic toward Palestinian residents of Gaza.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR After the Hamas attack, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said Israel “not only has the right to defend itself against these attacks, it has a duty to respond with overwhelming force.” He added: “America must stand with Israel.” Like many Republicans, he claimed falsely that President Biden’s policies toward Iran had funded the attack.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Entrepreneur Dropped out

He calls for prioritizing American interests, and he has suggested a path to phasing out U.S. aid to Israel.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR After the Hamas attack in October, Vivek Ramaswamy said on X that other Republicans were reacting with “hysteria rather than rationality.” The United States “should provide Israel with diplomatic support, intelligence-sharing and necessary munitions to defend its own homeland, while taking special care to avoid a broader regional war in the Middle East that would not advance U.S. interests,” he wrote.

Asa Hutchinson

Former Governor of Arkansas Dropped out

He called support for Israel “a fundamental part of American culture” and signed a bill against boycotts.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas called the Hamas attack on Israel “symbolic of the times we find ourselves in with weak leadership in the White House.” He added: “We must stand with Israel. We must stand for freedom and democracy. We must stand to face evil head-on.”

Chris Christie

Former Governor of New Jersey Dropped out

He called for “whatever it takes” to support Israel.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR Former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said at a Republican debate in November that, if he were president, his message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel would be, “America is here, no matter what it is you need, at any time, to preserve the state of Israel.” At the next debate in December, he said he would send U.S. troops to Gaza to rescue American hostages if the military showed him a plan to get them out safely.

Doug Burgum

Governor of North Dakota Dropped out

He wants “maximum political and military support” for Israel and signed a bill against boycotts.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota said on the campaign trail in New Hampshire that he would be willing to send U.S. troops to Israel to free hostages. He called the conflict in Israel a “proxy war” between the United States and Iran and, without evidence, linked Hamas’s attack to the Biden administration’s Iran policies.

Tim Scott

Senator from South Carolina Dropped out

He did not rule out sending troops to Israel.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina described Hamas’s attack in October as “an assault on Western civilization” and, like many Republicans, claimed falsely that President Biden had “funded” the attacks.