Trump slams rivals as he meets Netanyahu in Florida

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sharply criticized his Democratic political rivals, and warned of dire consequences for the Middle East if he was not reelected, as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Friday.

The meeting capped a week in which Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress and held talks with President Joe Biden and presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, the vice president, who took the Israeli leader to task over the situation in Gaza in a meeting the previous day.

"We have incompetent people running our country," Trump said while sitting across from Netanyahu.

"If we win, it'll be very simple. It's all gonna work out, and very quickly," Trump said. "If we don't, you could end up with major wars in the Middle East and maybe a third world war."

Trump's campaign later released a statement on the meeting, saying he "pledged that when he returns to the White House, he will make every effort to bring peace to the Middle East and combat anti-Semitism from spreading throughout college campuses across the United States."

Trump warmly greeted Netanyahu and his wife Sara, kissing her on both cheeks and then clasping hands with the long-serving prime minister as they arrived at the Republican's Mar-a-Lago resort.

Netanyahu posted a photo online showing him holding a hat that said "TOTAL VICTORY" — which he has vowed to achieve against Hamas in Gaza — as he stood next to Trump.

- 'Disrespectful' -

 Trump falsely accused election rival Harris of being an anti-Semite who plans to allow the murder of newborn babies, in a speech meant to rally religious supporters Friday that quickly went off the rails.

The tone was in notable contrast to...