On 13 February 2025, I talked to the Judge on “Judging Freedom” about the incredible influence that the Israel lobby wields in shaping US Middle East policy in ways that suit Israel’s interests, not America’s.
Mearsheimer is an antisemitic broken record who reflexively blames Israel while ignoring the undeniable truth: the Palestinians have rejected every opportunity for statehood and peace since 1947. The real obstacle to peace isn’t Israel—it’s Palestinian leadership, from Arafat to Abbas to Sinwar, who have never been willing to accept a Jewish state with secure borders. They refuse to give up their “struggle” against Israel, sacrificing generations of their own people in pursuit of a goal that can never be achieved.
Trump is challenging this failed, decades-old narrative. His specific proposals—whether resettling Gaza’s residents or building condos on the Mediterranean—aren’t the point. What matters is that he is reframing the debate and forcing the world to confront the inescapable reality: Palestinian leaders are committed to Israel’s destruction, and no proposal, no matter how generous, will ever be acceptable to them.
For 80 years, the world has indulged the fantasy that Palestinian intransigence can be overcome with more concessions. Trump recognizes that this approach has failed and will continue to fail. His greatest contribution isn’t any single policy idea, but his willingness to challenge conventional wisdom and expose the fundamental truth: peace will never come as long as Palestinian leaders remain dedicated to Israel’s annihilation.
Well, maybe you have a point, although I can't quite put my finger on it: is it that not every Arab town was destroyed in the Nakba, and only 750,000 Arabs displaced/killed? And Zionist paramilitaries did their best, but just couldn't definitively wipe the Arabs off the map? It's that damn dedication to Israel's annihilation that kept them going. Well, to cut the sarcasm, some of the most disgusting, inhuman, unforgivable crimes against humanity were committed by the IDF - that takes some dedication of sorts.
Yes, as you alluded, you are a supercilious idiot. (Psychological projection, anyone?) Don't choke on your bullshit. Don't post until you've taken your antipsychotic meds! I don't like boasting of fame. That's the sin of pride or haughtiness. So, news to John Mearsheimer; I do like being called an antisemite. ("Shem" means fame; not just renown, or the simplistic "name".)
What are you talking about? Concessions? Palestine is the homeland of Palestinians: that's why it's called "Palestine". The concessions have all been an accommodation to Israel, and mainly as a Western base.
What a dummy. Go read a history book. The name Palestine was created by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago to erase Jewish identity after Jewish revolts. Jews have lived in the land continuously, while Arabs came and went over time. A hundred years ago, there was no separate Palestinian identity—most Arabs in the area saw themselves as part of the larger Arab world. The idea of a “Palestinian people” only appeared in the mid-1900s, especially with the rise of the PLO. Many Arabs moved there during the British Mandate for jobs created by Jewish development. Meanwhile, Jewish communities in places like Jerusalem and Hebron stayed despite persecution. The idea of Palestinians as a separate people was made up for political reasons long after Jews had already lived there for thousands of years.
I was willing to listen to your criticisms of Professor Mearsheimer, but I don't think he denies that "the Palestinians have rejected every opportunity for statehood and peace since 1947." I think he accepts that's how it appears. But he asks why and by doing so takes a closer look into complexities leading to these historic outcomes, you know, his job. :)
Regarding your essay, Is it accurate for me to assume you believe that if Palestinian leadership is bad, Palestinians deserve apartheid? or is it the failed leaders who are directly responsible for the apartheid? Weird you never mention apartheid or the human rights violations like the late, great Jimmy Carter did.
The claim that Israel is an apartheid state collapses under even the slightest scrutiny. Unlike apartheid South Africa, where the minority white government systematically denied black citizens basic rights, Israel’s Arab citizens—who make up 21% of the population—enjoy full and equal rights under the law. They vote in elections, serve in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), hold high-ranking positions in medicine, law, and the technology sector, and have access to the same legal protections as Jewish citizens. There are Arab Supreme Court justices, university professors, and senior military officers. None of this would be possible under an actual apartheid system.
The situation in Gaza further dismantles the apartheid accusation. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, dismantling all settlements and evacuating every last Israeli—soldiers and civilians alike. Gaza became entirely self-governed by Palestinians. They had complete control over their own affairs and could have built a thriving economy, schools, infrastructure, and a peaceful society. Instead, Hamas seized power and turned Gaza into a terror fortress, diverting billions in international aid to build a vast underground tunnel network and stockpile rockets—all for one purpose: to kill Jews. They chose war over prosperity, and the suffering of Gaza’s people is a direct result of that choice.
If Israel were truly an apartheid state, there would be no Arab citizens serving in government, no Arab doctors in Israeli hospitals, and no coexistence in shared public spaces. The reality is that Israel is a multiethnic democracy where Arabs have more rights and freedoms than they do in most Arab countries. The only place where true apartheid exists is under Hamas rule in Gaza, where Jews—and even political opponents—are not allowed to exist.
You are spouting out-of-date Hasbara that has long been expired. Have you been asleep for the past 16 months? Oh, silly me, the #1 characteristic of a devout Zionist is to LIE. The Big Lies are all you can believe in.
Israel has already killed 100,000 Palestinians in an occupied territory, and is looking to grab north Gaza on the mediterranean and turn it into an exclusive resort. Not immediately apparent how this aligns with good faith dealings with Palestinians, or is out of sync with apartheid, mass murder, ethnic cleansing, and that kind of thing.
Hi Richard, I am not sure I follow. Apartheid isn't limited to a particular (South African) system. Even if we compare the rights of Arab and Jewish Israelis (leaving aside the fact that the Arabs living in "Greater Israel", i.e. Gaza and the West Bank, have next to no civil rights), there are distinct differences, given that Israel, according to its Basic Law, is an ethno-nationalist state that is primarily the Nation-State of the Jewish People (and no-one else's nation state). Therefore, by definition, Israel does not allow the Arabs to become the majority that has political power to rule. That, alone, makes Israel a failed "democracy" at its core. No Arab-Israeli party has ever been part of a ruling coalition, nor is that the intention.
But let's look at some of the racist policies that promote legal differences between Arab and Jewish citizens:
- The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (2003, frequently renewed) bars Palestinian citizens of Israel from living with spouses from the West Bank or Gaza in Israel, preventing family unification. This does not apply to Jewish citizens, who can marry and bring foreign spouses without restriction.
- While military service is mandatory for Jewish citizens, it is not for Palestinian citizens (except Druze and some Bedouin). However, many state benefits—such as housing assistance, employment opportunities, and scholarships—are tied to military service.
- Hebrew as the sole official language, downgrading Arabic to a "special status" language.
- Jewish settlement is recognized as a national value, which can justify preferential policies for Jewish citizens over Palestinian citizens. The Israeli Lands Authority (ILA), which controls about 93% of the land, prioritizes Jewish settlement. Much of this land is managed by the Jewish National Fund (JNF), which explicitly restricts its land sales to Jews.
- "Admissions Committees" in hundreds of small Jewish communities are legally permitted to reject Palestinian applicants on vague grounds of "social suitability."
- Many Palestinian homes in unrecognized villages (especially in the Negev/Naqab) are denied permits and are subject to demolition.
- The education system is segregated, and Palestinian schools receive less state funding than Jewish schools, leading to poorer facilities and resources.
- The Knesset has laws that limit the political participation of Palestinian parties. Parties that "negate Israel as a Jewish state" can be banned.
Imagine a country had laws that limited the political participation of black parties who negate that country as a "White" state...
Also, Israel allows ethnic Jews to make Aliyah to "come home", whereas Arabs are denied a right of return, even those that have lived on that land for generations (much like the Jewish minority who remained in Israel since thousands of years).
Don't get me wrong - I am fully in favor of Israel's right to exist and defend itself against terrorist attacks. But to say that Israel is a democracy that models "Western" democracies doesn't hold water.
Mr. Mearshmeir, I've been saying and writing for quite some time, that President Trumps priorities will be stopping the growth of BRICS... and, clearing a path (and all that requires and entails) for the establishment of a third temple in Israel...
I disagree on one point. Trump may be admitting that Crimea is indeed part of Russia, however, I suspect Trump is leaving the four oblasts open for negotiation per his comments about the precious minerals and wanting something in return. Hence, the 4 oblasts might still be part of the upcoming negotiations.
Transcript needed. Anyway I just commented on another thread: "I support the Houthis furious reaction though they may be Islamic fanatics and on that point I may not support them. But Trump has certainly gone mad with his victory and is acting more Zionist chauvinistic than the actual Zionist chauvinists of Israel. Let him shift Israel from the Middle East and relocate it in North America. That will be the best and most beneficial course for all the Jews in the world and also a boon to humanity."
At least you commenters are predictable. Faced with irrefutable facts about the Palestinians, you don’t argue—you evade, insult, and run away like cowards. Meanwhile, while you antisemitic fools wallow in your own cesspool of hate, Israel has crushed Hezbollah, crippled Iran, stripped Syria bare, and turned Hamas into garbage. Why? Because the Palestinians refuse three basic conditions:
1. Recognize Israel.
2. Accept a peaceful Palestinian state.
3. Abandon the delusional “right of return” to Israel—Palestinians can return only to a Palestinian state, not Israel.
Deny it all you want, but facts don’t care about your feelings.
At least you commenters are predictable. Faced with irrefutable facts about the Palestinians, you don’t argue—you evade, insult, and run away like cowards. Meanwhile, while you antisemitic fools wallow in your own cesspool of hate, Israel has crushed Hezbollah, crippled Iran, stripped Syria bare, and turned Hamas into garbage. Why? Because the Palestinians refuse three basic conditions:
1. Recognize Israel.
2. Accept a peaceful Palestinian state.
3. Abandon the delusional “right of return” to Israel—Palestinians can return only to a Palestinian state, not Israel.
Deny it all you want, but facts don’t care about your feelings.
Israel being on the driver’s seat for American politics sounds like a really bad joke and this joke is not funny at all. For decades , America has helped Israel by providing the military equipment it badly needed as a tiny country while at the same time paralyzing it completely and always stopping it halfway, short of achieving total victory. In Gaza , Biden forbit Netayahou from going into Rafah and the Philadelphia Corridor which were essential in its efforts to stopping the traffic of arms from Egypt to Hamas. Fortunately Israel did not obey , it was absolutely vital to go forward at this point.
As to Ukraine, J. Merschheimer made a very good analysis of the origins of the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Logically he should have been totally favorable to Trump’s approach to end a terrible war that nobody could win. And if America pledges that somehow Ukraine will not join Nato, there might be a good chance for peace. And young people will not continue being uselessly killed on nothing sides.
You’ve long argued that the power of the Israeli lobby is both substantial and, in many ways, inexplicable given traditional realist assumptions about state interests. What if we could model this undue influence using something like Sugarscape?
By assigning certain agents preferential positioning or genetic endowments—akin to institutional access, media influence, or financial leverage—we could observe how the system evolves compared to a baseline of equal competition. The discrepancies between these simulated states and real-world outcomes could help unmask structural advantages designed to remain hidden.
Would this be a useful tool to test and refine theories of elite influence? I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.
Regarding the bit about Hegseth's speech and the idea of the US walking away from NATO/Europe. There was one sentence in Hegseth's sppech that I found really momentous; it went like this:
"Safeguarding European security must be an imperative for European members of NATO". (Emphasis on the second "European".)
In other words, for non-European members of NATO, European security is not an imperative. This is a mind-bogging reversal of previous stances. European security was always, as far as I can tell, presented as NATO's primary raison d'être.
I think Trump uses these outlandish statements to gather information from people’s reactions. He did this with Obama’s birth certificate. The news media rushed to do polls showing how many people believed what Trump said, so he found ~30% of the people would believe it. He would say something at rallies and ask the crowd, “do you like that?” Now he’s looking at leader’s reactions around the world to his Gaza statement.
Keep up the good work professor.
Mearsheimer is an antisemitic broken record who reflexively blames Israel while ignoring the undeniable truth: the Palestinians have rejected every opportunity for statehood and peace since 1947. The real obstacle to peace isn’t Israel—it’s Palestinian leadership, from Arafat to Abbas to Sinwar, who have never been willing to accept a Jewish state with secure borders. They refuse to give up their “struggle” against Israel, sacrificing generations of their own people in pursuit of a goal that can never be achieved.
Trump is challenging this failed, decades-old narrative. His specific proposals—whether resettling Gaza’s residents or building condos on the Mediterranean—aren’t the point. What matters is that he is reframing the debate and forcing the world to confront the inescapable reality: Palestinian leaders are committed to Israel’s destruction, and no proposal, no matter how generous, will ever be acceptable to them.
For 80 years, the world has indulged the fantasy that Palestinian intransigence can be overcome with more concessions. Trump recognizes that this approach has failed and will continue to fail. His greatest contribution isn’t any single policy idea, but his willingness to challenge conventional wisdom and expose the fundamental truth: peace will never come as long as Palestinian leaders remain dedicated to Israel’s annihilation.
The professional Zionist who comes to shittalk each and every post on Mearsheimer's substack calls someone else a broken record! Oh, the irony!!
Well, maybe you have a point, although I can't quite put my finger on it: is it that not every Arab town was destroyed in the Nakba, and only 750,000 Arabs displaced/killed? And Zionist paramilitaries did their best, but just couldn't definitively wipe the Arabs off the map? It's that damn dedication to Israel's annihilation that kept them going. Well, to cut the sarcasm, some of the most disgusting, inhuman, unforgivable crimes against humanity were committed by the IDF - that takes some dedication of sorts.
You're off your meds. The Palestinians do not run the Federal Reserve, nor the DOD, nor MIC in general. Take your thorazine before you post again!
You are an idiot
And you are an islamophobic broken idiot. LOL. 😂
Yes, as you alluded, you are a supercilious idiot. (Psychological projection, anyone?) Don't choke on your bullshit. Don't post until you've taken your antipsychotic meds! I don't like boasting of fame. That's the sin of pride or haughtiness. So, news to John Mearsheimer; I do like being called an antisemite. ("Shem" means fame; not just renown, or the simplistic "name".)
This is racist and imperialist BS. Mearsheimer isn't perfect, but almost, and he's 100% on Gaza and Palestine.
jaffee
What are you talking about? Concessions? Palestine is the homeland of Palestinians: that's why it's called "Palestine". The concessions have all been an accommodation to Israel, and mainly as a Western base.
What a dummy. Go read a history book. The name Palestine was created by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago to erase Jewish identity after Jewish revolts. Jews have lived in the land continuously, while Arabs came and went over time. A hundred years ago, there was no separate Palestinian identity—most Arabs in the area saw themselves as part of the larger Arab world. The idea of a “Palestinian people” only appeared in the mid-1900s, especially with the rise of the PLO. Many Arabs moved there during the British Mandate for jobs created by Jewish development. Meanwhile, Jewish communities in places like Jerusalem and Hebron stayed despite persecution. The idea of Palestinians as a separate people was made up for political reasons long after Jews had already lived there for thousands of years.
I was willing to listen to your criticisms of Professor Mearsheimer, but I don't think he denies that "the Palestinians have rejected every opportunity for statehood and peace since 1947." I think he accepts that's how it appears. But he asks why and by doing so takes a closer look into complexities leading to these historic outcomes, you know, his job. :)
Regarding your essay, Is it accurate for me to assume you believe that if Palestinian leadership is bad, Palestinians deserve apartheid? or is it the failed leaders who are directly responsible for the apartheid? Weird you never mention apartheid or the human rights violations like the late, great Jimmy Carter did.
The claim that Israel is an apartheid state collapses under even the slightest scrutiny. Unlike apartheid South Africa, where the minority white government systematically denied black citizens basic rights, Israel’s Arab citizens—who make up 21% of the population—enjoy full and equal rights under the law. They vote in elections, serve in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), hold high-ranking positions in medicine, law, and the technology sector, and have access to the same legal protections as Jewish citizens. There are Arab Supreme Court justices, university professors, and senior military officers. None of this would be possible under an actual apartheid system.
The situation in Gaza further dismantles the apartheid accusation. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, dismantling all settlements and evacuating every last Israeli—soldiers and civilians alike. Gaza became entirely self-governed by Palestinians. They had complete control over their own affairs and could have built a thriving economy, schools, infrastructure, and a peaceful society. Instead, Hamas seized power and turned Gaza into a terror fortress, diverting billions in international aid to build a vast underground tunnel network and stockpile rockets—all for one purpose: to kill Jews. They chose war over prosperity, and the suffering of Gaza’s people is a direct result of that choice.
If Israel were truly an apartheid state, there would be no Arab citizens serving in government, no Arab doctors in Israeli hospitals, and no coexistence in shared public spaces. The reality is that Israel is a multiethnic democracy where Arabs have more rights and freedoms than they do in most Arab countries. The only place where true apartheid exists is under Hamas rule in Gaza, where Jews—and even political opponents—are not allowed to exist.
You are spouting out-of-date Hasbara that has long been expired. Have you been asleep for the past 16 months? Oh, silly me, the #1 characteristic of a devout Zionist is to LIE. The Big Lies are all you can believe in.
Israel has already killed 100,000 Palestinians in an occupied territory, and is looking to grab north Gaza on the mediterranean and turn it into an exclusive resort. Not immediately apparent how this aligns with good faith dealings with Palestinians, or is out of sync with apartheid, mass murder, ethnic cleansing, and that kind of thing.
Hi Richard, I am not sure I follow. Apartheid isn't limited to a particular (South African) system. Even if we compare the rights of Arab and Jewish Israelis (leaving aside the fact that the Arabs living in "Greater Israel", i.e. Gaza and the West Bank, have next to no civil rights), there are distinct differences, given that Israel, according to its Basic Law, is an ethno-nationalist state that is primarily the Nation-State of the Jewish People (and no-one else's nation state). Therefore, by definition, Israel does not allow the Arabs to become the majority that has political power to rule. That, alone, makes Israel a failed "democracy" at its core. No Arab-Israeli party has ever been part of a ruling coalition, nor is that the intention.
But let's look at some of the racist policies that promote legal differences between Arab and Jewish citizens:
- The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (2003, frequently renewed) bars Palestinian citizens of Israel from living with spouses from the West Bank or Gaza in Israel, preventing family unification. This does not apply to Jewish citizens, who can marry and bring foreign spouses without restriction.
- While military service is mandatory for Jewish citizens, it is not for Palestinian citizens (except Druze and some Bedouin). However, many state benefits—such as housing assistance, employment opportunities, and scholarships—are tied to military service.
- Hebrew as the sole official language, downgrading Arabic to a "special status" language.
- Jewish settlement is recognized as a national value, which can justify preferential policies for Jewish citizens over Palestinian citizens. The Israeli Lands Authority (ILA), which controls about 93% of the land, prioritizes Jewish settlement. Much of this land is managed by the Jewish National Fund (JNF), which explicitly restricts its land sales to Jews.
- "Admissions Committees" in hundreds of small Jewish communities are legally permitted to reject Palestinian applicants on vague grounds of "social suitability."
- Many Palestinian homes in unrecognized villages (especially in the Negev/Naqab) are denied permits and are subject to demolition.
- The education system is segregated, and Palestinian schools receive less state funding than Jewish schools, leading to poorer facilities and resources.
- The Knesset has laws that limit the political participation of Palestinian parties. Parties that "negate Israel as a Jewish state" can be banned.
Imagine a country had laws that limited the political participation of black parties who negate that country as a "White" state...
Also, Israel allows ethnic Jews to make Aliyah to "come home", whereas Arabs are denied a right of return, even those that have lived on that land for generations (much like the Jewish minority who remained in Israel since thousands of years).
Don't get me wrong - I am fully in favor of Israel's right to exist and defend itself against terrorist attacks. But to say that Israel is a democracy that models "Western" democracies doesn't hold water.
Coda—the final part of something. A fitting name for you since everything you say should be the last thing you say—it adds nothing of value.
Peace will never happen as long as Israel remains dedicated to apartheid, occupation, and genocide of the Palestinians.
Mr. Mearshmeir, I've been saying and writing for quite some time, that President Trumps priorities will be stopping the growth of BRICS... and, clearing a path (and all that requires and entails) for the establishment of a third temple in Israel...
I disagree on one point. Trump may be admitting that Crimea is indeed part of Russia, however, I suspect Trump is leaving the four oblasts open for negotiation per his comments about the precious minerals and wanting something in return. Hence, the 4 oblasts might still be part of the upcoming negotiations.
with the additional caveat that historically, Russia has not given up territory once it acquired it.
Transcript needed. Anyway I just commented on another thread: "I support the Houthis furious reaction though they may be Islamic fanatics and on that point I may not support them. But Trump has certainly gone mad with his victory and is acting more Zionist chauvinistic than the actual Zionist chauvinists of Israel. Let him shift Israel from the Middle East and relocate it in North America. That will be the best and most beneficial course for all the Jews in the world and also a boon to humanity."
Your work is incredible and very informative. It would be an honour and a blessing to have you on the Contrarian Capitalist podcast soon!
At least you commenters are predictable. Faced with irrefutable facts about the Palestinians, you don’t argue—you evade, insult, and run away like cowards. Meanwhile, while you antisemitic fools wallow in your own cesspool of hate, Israel has crushed Hezbollah, crippled Iran, stripped Syria bare, and turned Hamas into garbage. Why? Because the Palestinians refuse three basic conditions:
1. Recognize Israel.
2. Accept a peaceful Palestinian state.
3. Abandon the delusional “right of return” to Israel—Palestinians can return only to a Palestinian state, not Israel.
Deny it all you want, but facts don’t care about your feelings.
You still haven't taken your meds before continuing to shit talk. Zionists are psychopaths!
Right. Nothing ever of substance. Dolt.
Tell the ADL that facts don’t care about Leo Frank’s feelings.
Hoping a modern day Nikolai Lagovsky is successful in his efforts today.
At least you commenters are predictable. Faced with irrefutable facts about the Palestinians, you don’t argue—you evade, insult, and run away like cowards. Meanwhile, while you antisemitic fools wallow in your own cesspool of hate, Israel has crushed Hezbollah, crippled Iran, stripped Syria bare, and turned Hamas into garbage. Why? Because the Palestinians refuse three basic conditions:
1. Recognize Israel.
2. Accept a peaceful Palestinian state.
3. Abandon the delusional “right of return” to Israel—Palestinians can return only to a Palestinian state, not Israel.
Deny it all you want, but facts don’t care about your feelings.
Israel being on the driver’s seat for American politics sounds like a really bad joke and this joke is not funny at all. For decades , America has helped Israel by providing the military equipment it badly needed as a tiny country while at the same time paralyzing it completely and always stopping it halfway, short of achieving total victory. In Gaza , Biden forbit Netayahou from going into Rafah and the Philadelphia Corridor which were essential in its efforts to stopping the traffic of arms from Egypt to Hamas. Fortunately Israel did not obey , it was absolutely vital to go forward at this point.
As to Ukraine, J. Merschheimer made a very good analysis of the origins of the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Logically he should have been totally favorable to Trump’s approach to end a terrible war that nobody could win. And if America pledges that somehow Ukraine will not join Nato, there might be a good chance for peace. And young people will not continue being uselessly killed on nothing sides.
Professor Mearsheimer,
You’ve long argued that the power of the Israeli lobby is both substantial and, in many ways, inexplicable given traditional realist assumptions about state interests. What if we could model this undue influence using something like Sugarscape?
By assigning certain agents preferential positioning or genetic endowments—akin to institutional access, media influence, or financial leverage—we could observe how the system evolves compared to a baseline of equal competition. The discrepancies between these simulated states and real-world outcomes could help unmask structural advantages designed to remain hidden.
Would this be a useful tool to test and refine theories of elite influence? I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.
Another highly educational exchange! Thank you, gentlemen! Prof., I always learn something vital from you!
Pt.2 and by "romancing" Putin, and turning Gaza into Club Med 2.0, he'll be well in his way to meeting those objectives
Regarding the bit about Hegseth's speech and the idea of the US walking away from NATO/Europe. There was one sentence in Hegseth's sppech that I found really momentous; it went like this:
"Safeguarding European security must be an imperative for European members of NATO". (Emphasis on the second "European".)
In other words, for non-European members of NATO, European security is not an imperative. This is a mind-bogging reversal of previous stances. European security was always, as far as I can tell, presented as NATO's primary raison d'être.
I should have read my comments before sending them they are full of spelling mistakes
Click on the three dots, then select "Edit".
Thank you
Off topic.
Does anyone know what map Mr. Mearsheimer has behind him? It looks like 1800s but I can see the details clearly enough to narrow it down.
I think Trump uses these outlandish statements to gather information from people’s reactions. He did this with Obama’s birth certificate. The news media rushed to do polls showing how many people believed what Trump said, so he found ~30% of the people would believe it. He would say something at rallies and ask the crowd, “do you like that?” Now he’s looking at leader’s reactions around the world to his Gaza statement.