Trump’s senior advisers joked about seeking asylum in Israel as they anticipated a crushing Republican midterm defeat, NYT reports

Senior political advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump joked about seeking asylum in Israel during a private video call six days before the November 3 midterm elections, as internal assessments pointed to a potentially devastating defeat for the Republican Party, according to The New York Times.

The newspaper reported that more than two dozen of Trump’s senior political strategists participated in the October 28 call, during which they discussed the party’s deteriorating electoral prospects. Four people familiar with the conversation provided accounts of the meeting.

James Blair, a senior Trump adviser who had left his White House position to oversee the Republican midterm strategy, sarcastically referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s performance in Israel’s parliamentary election the previous day.

“At least Bibi won. He’ll protect us,” Blair said, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

Tony Fabrizio, Trump’s chief pollster and a longtime Republican strategist, responded: “Maybe we could get asylum in Israel.”

The exchange was part of a broader conversation in which participants used dark humor to discuss the possibility of a Republican electoral collapse. According to the Times, the advisers also joked about funeral arrangements, prison food, presidential pardons and leaving the United States.

Netanyahu’s Likud party had emerged as the largest party in Israel’s October 27 election, but his governing bloc failed to secure a parliamentary majority. Trump had publicly endorsed Netanyahu ahead of the vote.

During the approximately 30-minute call, Fabrizio and Republican data consultant Tim Saler reviewed different electoral scenarios, including one involving sweeping losses for the party.

The concerns were borne out on November 3, when Democrats won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, ending Republican control of Congress.

The New York Times also reported that the war against Iran and rising living costs had become major concerns for Republican strategists in the months preceding the election.

Trump acknowledged after the vote that the war had contributed to his party’s defeat through higher gasoline prices, although he continued to defend the military campaign.