The MAGA movement is embroiled in controversy following a recently exposed July meeting between US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Jonathan Pollard, the former American intelligence analyst convicted of spying for Israel. Prominent MAGA voices are now calling for Huckabee's dismissal, or immediate return to Washington.
On his show on the OAN network, former Congressman Matt Gaetz launched a fierce attack, revisiting the details of Pollard's espionage case and describing it as one of the most damaging intelligence breaches in US history. Gaetz said Pollard "knowingly and for payment stole US intelligence for a foreign country," and that a meeting with him by a US ambassador crossed a clear red line.
Gaetz also aired Huckabee's response, in which the ambassador said the meeting was "no big deal" and "nothing secret," noting that Pollard "committed a terrible crime and served 35 years in prison." Huckabee explained that the meeting was personal, as Pollard wanted to thank him for his support of Pollard's late wife. Huckabee added sarcastically that he also meets with "dangerous individuals, like New York Times journalists."
Gaetz, who has consistently voiced anti-Israel and even antisemitic views, withdrew from Congress after being Trump's nominee for US attorney general. When it became clear he lacked the Senate support to be confirmed, he stepped aside and Pam Bondi was chosen instead.
But for key figures in MAGA, Huckabee's explanation did not suffice. On his show with commentator and activist Jack Posobiec, Bannon demanded Huckabee's removal. "Why isn't he already on a plane back to get reprimanded by the president and fired?" Bannon said. Posobiec compared the move to a formal meeting with fugitive leaker Edward Snowden, saying such a meeting "requires direct White House approval, if at all."
Jonathan Pollard is a former intel analyst who grievously betrayed the United States by selling secrets to Israel…so why did a sitting U.S. ambassador meet with him?@MattGaetz takes a deep dive into Pollard's past, his treasonous crimes, and the bizarre history that led to his… pic.twitter.com/aRlKr5uenM
— One America News (@OANN) November 22, 2025
They described the meeting as a "PR disaster" for the Trump administration at a time when the MAGA base is particularly sensitive to anything seen as elite privilege. According to them, for large segments of Generation Z and working-class Americans in the heartland, scandals like Epstein and now Pollard feed into a broader narrative of anger at establishment figures acting above the law. "People are furious," they said, and questioning why an "America First" ambassador would meet with someone they view as a traitor.
A deeper debate about US-Israel relations
Alongside the public calls for dismissal, the controversy has sparked a deeper conversation within MAGA about the nature of the US-Israel relationship. Gaetz argued that the meeting sends a troubling signal about "blurring red lines in order to appease Israel," while Bannon and Posobiec warned of damage to America's image of sovereignty and national pride.
When asked about the issue on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said the White House "was not aware of the meeting in advance," but stressed that President Trump "stands by our ambassador, Mike Huckabee, and everything he's doing for the US and Israel."
However, for many vocal Trump supporters, the meeting with Pollard is more than a diplomatic misstep, as it symbolizes a deeper rupture within the "America First" worldview.
"A friendly meeting"
Huckabee met with Jonathan Pollard in July at the US Embassy in Jerusalem. Pollard served 30 years in a US prison after being convicted of spying for Israel. According to the New York Times, the meeting surprised both the White House and the CIA.
Pollard confirmed the meeting to Israel Hayom, saying it was the first time a US official had hosted him in an office since his release. "It was a friendly meeting," he said.
According to reports, the meeting was not listed on Huckabee's official schedule, and its very occurrence alarmed the CIA's station chief in Israel. Senior White House officials were caught off guard when they learned about it, and it remains unclear whether the State Department had approved it.
Pollard told Israel Hayom the meeting was strictly personal. "Mr. Huckabee was a true gentleman. During the years I was in prison, he tried to help on humanitarian grounds. In particular, he gave a lot of support to my late wife Esther, who had cancer for many years. I wanted to thank him personally. The meeting was entirely personal and deeply so. We didn't talk about politics or anything else," he said.
Pollard remains barred from returning to the US, so the meeting could only have taken place in Israel. According to Israel Hayom, it was held openly at the ambassador's office in Jerusalem, with embassy staff and others fully aware of it.
Israel Hayom Summit
Meanwhile, Israel Hayom will launch the Israel Hayom Summit on December 2 at the Hilton Midtown in New York. The event will be hosted by journalist Yoav Limor along with Israel Hayom reporters and commentators, and will feature Dr. Miriam Adelson and tech entrepreneur Yasmin Lukatz.
The gathering seeks to forge bridges of connection and trust linking Israel with Diaspora Jewry, businesses with the US administration, and classical Zionism with the emerging landscape of technology, economics, and global communications. The summit will spotlight the period's central questions – how to build the day after the war, what role the American Jewry plays in shaping Israel's future, and how to preserve mutual responsibility and shared values connecting the Jewish people across the ocean.
