President Donald Trump openly talked about the huge influence of mega-donor Miriam Adelson on US policy toward Israel during a speech to the Knesset on Monday. The president pointed out how Adelson and her late husband, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, helped shape major decisions about Israel during his earlier time in office.
According to Yahoo, Sheldon Adelson, who died in 2021, built the world’s largest casino empire as head of Las Vegas Sands Corp. He put much of his fortune into supporting conservative politicians and policies in both the United States and Israel. The couple became known for their wide-ranging charity work and business projects in Israel, as well as their donations to Jewish causes.
During his speech, Trump pointed to Adelson in the audience and asked her to stand up. With a grin, he said, “She’s got $60 billion in the bank,” then added, “I think she is saying, ‘No, more,'” which got laughs from the crowd. He praised the Israeli-born doctor as a wonderful woman whose love for Israel was so deep that she once refused to say which country she loved more, Israel or the United States.
Key Policy Decisions Influenced By The Adelsons
Trump said the Adelsons helped shape several big decisions during his time in office. These included his 2017 decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the 2018 move of the US embassy to the holy city, and his 2019 backing of Israeli control over the occupied Golan Heights. The president remembered how the couple would regularly call and visit him in the Oval Office, joking that Sheldon was so determined he would “come in through the window.”
The president’s comments showed just how much access and influence the Adelsons had on his administration. Miriam Adelson has been a major donor to Trump’s presidential campaigns and continues to play an active role in US-Israel relations.
A senior US official said that she had worked behind the scenes to push the president to keep working toward the return of hostages that Hamas took from Israel to Gaza in 2023. The last of the survivors came back on Monday.
In 2018, Trump gave Miriam Adelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He pointed to her work in supporting addiction research, starting medical centers with her late husband, and helping launch the Adelson Medical Research Foundation.
Published: Oct 13, 2025 01:17 pm