--- title: "Trump Advisers Joked About Asylum in Israel Before Midterm Loss" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-advisers-joked-about-asylum-in-israel-before-midterm-loss" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-advisers-joked-about-asylum-in-israel-before-midterm-loss" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-advisers-joked-about-asylum-in-israel-before-midterm-loss.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-advisers-joked-about-asylum-in-israel-before-midterm-loss" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-11-05T19:47:09.065Z" source_reported: "2026-11-05T18:46:02.000Z" updated: "2026-11-05T19:47:09.065Z" trust_score: 70 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-11-05T21:00:42.106470+00:00" --- # Trump Advisers Joked About Asylum in Israel Before Midterm Loss *The New York Times reported on a private call where strategists discussed electoral defeat.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 70 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to NYT report, with specific quotes and names from two full reports. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Quotes and specific details provided, with context on the Iran war and economic factors. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines use strong language like 'disaster' and 'wipeout' but the body is more measured. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Senior advisers to Donald Trump discussed seeking asylum in Israel during a private meeting six days before the midterm elections, according to The New York Times. - The jokes occurred as Republicans faced potential electoral defeat, with one adviser stating, 'At least Bibi won. He’ll protect us,' referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. - Trump's chief pollster, Tony Fabrizio, reportedly responded to the sentiment with, 'Maybe we could get asylum in Israel.' - The war with Iran and rising petrol prices were cited as factors contributing to the Republican defeat. Senior advisers to former US President Donald Trump joked about seeking asylum in Israel during a private meeting held six days before the midterm elections, The New York Times reported. The discussion took place a day after Israel's election, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc did not secure a parliamentary majority. During the call, strategists expressed concerns about the party's electoral prospects, with some engaging in dark humour about potential outcomes. James Blair, who had overseen Trump's midterm strategy, was quoted as saying, 'At least Bibi won. He’ll protect us,' a comment the newspaper described as sarcastic. Trump's chief pollster, Tony Fabrizio, reportedly replied, 'Maybe we could get asylum in Israel.' The call included discussions of possible electoral scenarios, one of which projected a significant Republican defeat. These concerns materialised when Democrats gained control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The war with Iran was cited as a factor eroding Republican support, particularly as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz pushed US petrol prices above $4 per gallon. An internal presentation suggested that Democratic support increased during active hostilities with Iran. Republican polling two weeks before the election indicated that voters not planning to back the party cited ending the war and tackling inflation as their primary concerns. The New York Times also pointed to Trump's trade policies and his administration's handling of the economy as contributing to the Republican defeat. ## Disagreement on Netanyahu's election outcome The New York Times reported that the call took place a day after Israel's election, in which Netanyahu's bloc failed to secure a parliamentary majority. Anadolu Ajansı and TRT World also stated that Netanyahu's bloc failed to secure a majority. Berlingske.dk, however, stated that Trump was 'speechless with rage' as the disaster dawned, and his people talked about seeking asylum in Israel, without mentioning Netanyahu's election outcome. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports below mention the specific details of the internal presentation circulated among White House officials over the summer regarding Democratic support during active hostilities or diplomatic negotiations with Iran. Similarly, none of the right-rated reports mention the specific polling data from two weeks before the election that indicated voters' top concerns were ending the war and tackling inflation. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 17% (1) - Right: 83% (5) 4 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-11-05T21:00:42.106470+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-11-05T22:00:23.117Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - TRT World led with the report that senior advisers to US President Donald Trump joked about seeking asylum in Israel days before the midterm elections. The report detailed the private video call where strategists discussed electoral defeat and included the exchange between James Blair and Tony Fabrizio. It also noted that the war with Iran and rising petrol prices contributed to the Republican defeat, and that Democrats focused on household costs and accused the administration of favouring the wealthy. ### Right - Right-rated reports focused on the joke about seeking asylum in Israel made by Trump's advisers. Headlines from Anadolu Ajansı, World Israel News, i24NEWS, and Israel Hayom highlighted this aspect. Anadolu Ajansı and TRT World (rated centre) also mentioned the war with Iran and economic concerns as contributing factors to the defeat. Israel Hayom's digest mentioned that interviews with more than 70 people traced the Republican midterm collapse to an unpopular Iran war, rising gas prices, and costly candidate choices. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 3 - high: 3 - unknown: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [berlingske.dk](https://berlingske.dk/internationalt/trump-var-stum-af-raseri-da-katastrofen-daemrede-hans-folk-taler-om-at-tage-cyanid-og-soege-asyl-i-israel) — Trump Was “Speechless with Rage” as the Disaster Dawned. His People Talk About Taking Cyanide and Seeking Asylum in Israel - [WIN](https://worldisraelnews.com/bibi-will-save-us-trump-aides-joke-about-seeking-asylum-in-israel-after-midterms) — 'Bibi will save us' - Trump aides joke about seeking asylum in Israel after midterms - [i24NEWS](https://i24news.tv/en/news/international/americas/artc-maybe-we-could-get-asylum-in-israel-trump-strategists-joke-about-fleeing-country-before-midterms-report) — ‘Maybe we could get asylum in Israel,’ Trump strategists joke about fleeing country before midterms - [anlatilaninotesi.com.tr](https://anlatilaninotesi.com.tr/20261105/trump-ekibinin-secimden-6-gun-onceki-netanyahu-diyalogu-ortaya-cikti-belki-israilden-siginma-aliriz-1110129570.html) — Trump Team Revealed Netanyahu Dialogue 6 Days Before Election: 'Maybe We'll Get Asylum From Israel' - [TRT World](https://trtworld.com/article/b39f4e7a9639) — Trump advisers joked about seeking asylum in Israel before midterm defeat, NYT reports - [Akşam](https://aksam.com.tr/dunya/abd-secimi-oncesi-saka-yapmislar-kaybedersek-israile-siginiriz/haber-1712115) — They Joked Before the US Election: If We Lose, We'll Take Refuge in Israel. - [Habertürk](https://haberturk.com/dunya/nyt-trump-in-danismanlari-abd-ara-secimleri-oncesi-israil-e-siginma-sakasi-yapti-3925138) — NYT: Trump's Advisors Joked About "Seeking Asylum in Israel" Before the US Midterm Elections - [Israel Hayom](https://israelhayom.com/2026/11/05/trump-strategists-joked-about-seeking-asylum-in-israel-days-before-republican-midterm-rout) — Trump aides joked about pardons ahead of midterm wipeout - [turkiyegazetesi.com.tr](https://turkiyegazetesi.com.tr/dunya/trumpin-danismanlari-israile-siginmayi-konusmus-gizli-toplanti-ortaya-cikti-1827351) — Trump's Advisors Discussed Seeking Refuge in Israel! The Secret Meeting Has Been Revealed. - [Anadolu Ajansı](https://aa.com.tr/en/americas/trump-advisers-joked-about-seeking-asylum-in-israel-ahead-of-midterm-defeat-report/4112291) — Trump Advisors Joked About Seeking Asylum in Israel Ahead of Midterm Defeat: Report ## Questions **What did Trump's advisers joke about before the midterm elections?** According to The New York Times, senior advisers to Donald Trump joked about seeking asylum in Israel during a private meeting. They also discussed funeral arrangements and prison food as the party faced potential electoral defeat. **Who was involved in the conversation about seeking asylum?** James Blair, who oversaw Trump's midterm strategy, reportedly said, 'At least Bibi won. He’ll protect us.' Trump's chief pollster, Tony Fabrizio, is quoted as responding, 'Maybe we could get asylum in Israel.' **What factors contributed to the Republican defeat in the midterms?** The New York Times cited the war with Iran and rising petrol prices as factors eroding Republican support. Trump's trade policies and his administration's handling of the economy were also mentioned as contributing to the defeat. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-advisers-joked-about-asylum-in-israel-before-midterm-loss. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump Advisers Joked About Asylum in Israel Before Midterm Loss", https://mediabias.news/politics/trump-advisers-joked-about-asylum-in-israel-before-midterm-loss