Michaelah Montgomery, a conservative activist who appeared alongside President Donald Trump often during his 2024 campaign, tells Newsmax that she's decided to "lay low" in Israel rather than being captured and used as a "bargaining chip" as the tensions grow between Israel and Iran.
Appearing on "First Edition" Monday, Montgomery commented that because of her connections with Trump and the Republican Party, she could risk her safety or that of others if she tries to leave Israel.
"Because of my notoriety back in the states and my proximity to our president, it's not safe for me to move with large groups," Montgomery said. "There is a ring of fire around this country, and the borders aren't safe for somebody like me. At the end of the day, the last thing I need is to be used as a bargaining chip to force the United States to get involved, you know, in this conflict over here."
She added that she has "amazing people" with the State Department agencies working to find the safest way to get her out of Israel, but it is better to remain free rather than risk being captured and "begging and pleading that the United States gets involved so that I can come home."
Montgomery added she is "much safer on the ground than I am in the sky or at anybody's border right now."
Meanwhile, she said that the people of Israel, despite the growing Iranian strikes, are going about their everyday lives.
"Usually the conflict mainly pops off at night, and it keeps you up all night," Montgomery said. "The only time you really see any movement is when the sirens go off. So here you get an alert on your phone. That lets you know that within 10 minutes, something could happen, and then you hear the sirens outside. That lets you know that within the next 90 seconds, something is going to happen and you need to take cover."
Every building, she added, has a bomb shelter.
Things are "quiet" in Israel, but not somber, said Montgomery.
"I came here before the conflict started, and the city was hustling and bustling, and everything was great," she said. "The people here are extremely resilient. They do not live in fear, and it's honestly commendable. It's the only reason why I'm able to keep it going and I'm able to keep my head on straight and not freak out."
The residents also seem to feel safer because of the Iron Dome, said Montgomery, adding that Trump's push for a "Golden Dome" is reassuring.
"I understand why, because the anti-American sentiment, the antisemitism sentiment that exists within these Middle Eastern countries, the threat is very real to those of us who are welcoming to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the freedom to exist," she said.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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