Comedian Michael Rapaport, a long-standing and vocal critic of Donald Trump, has publicly explained why he stopped hurling insults at the president. Speaking on Jamie Kennedy's podcast "Hate To Break It To Ya", the 56-year-old said his views shifted after the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, when he concluded that Trump offered the best chance of securing the release of hostages. The turnaround is notable given Rapaport's years of derogatory attacks, and reflects how the hostage crisis reshaped some celebrities' political allegiances.

Rapaport stressed he still finds Trump "infuriating" and has not become an outright supporter, but said that securing the hostages' return and protecting Israel's right to exist were reason enough to drop the personal abuse. He described being changed by nine visits to Israel over two and a half years and by conversations with hostage families. Acknowledging that some followers were upset by his change of tone, he invited critics to "carry the torch" themselves, saying he was no longer interested in slamming the president.