The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Trump has described the same conversation about Israel four times. Each time, the name of his Jewish friend changed.

Analysis by
Politics senior video journalist
December 13, 2019 at 1:42 p.m. EST
On at least four occasions over three-plus months, President Trump has told the same story about his Israel policies featuring a different person each time. (Video: JM Rieger/The Washington Post)

Touting his accomplishments during a second Hanukkah reception at the White House on Wednesday, President Trump recalled a conversation he said he had with real estate developer Charles Kushner.

“I said, ‘Charlie, let me ask you, what’s bigger for the Jewish people: giving the embassy to Jerusalem, it becomes the capital of Israel. What’s bigger? That or the Golan Heights?’ He said, ‘Neither.’ I said, ‘What does that mean?’ He said, ‘The biggest thing of all is what you did by ending the Iran nuclear catastrophe,’ ” Trump said to applause from the audience. “I think that’s true.”

It was remarkably similar to a story Trump told at the first White House Hanukkah reception just four hours prior, this time recalling a conversation he said he had with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

“I said, ‘Bob Kraft, which is bigger? Which is more important to the Jewish people?’ He said, ‘Neither.’ I said, ‘What does that mean?’ He said, ‘What you did by terminating the Iran nuclear deal is bigger than both.’ I think that’s true.”

In the video above, you can watch Trump tell the same story four times, naming different people each time.

Four days before the Hanukkah receptions, Trump spoke about a conversation with Republican financier and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. “I said to Sheldon, ‘What do you think was bigger? … Israel and the embassy going in, and it became Jerusalem, the capital of Israel? Or the Golan Heights?’ He said, ‘Neither.’ ”

And in September, Trump referred to having a similar conversation with “people.”

Trump often relies on the same stories and phrases while speaking to reporters and at rallies (including repeating false or misleading claims hundreds of times). For example, Trump has spoken about his friend Jim, who purportedly used to visit Paris every year but no longer does because “Paris is no longer Paris.” Several outlets have tried to determine who exactly Jim is and whether he is real.

At least twice, the subjects Trump mentioned in the Israel story were in the room with him when he told it. But whether the conversations happened as Trump described them is unclear. The White House declined to comment.

Anne Gearan contributed to this analysis.