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In April 2024, Ackman announced via [[Twitter|X]] that he would not support [[Joe Biden]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ackman |first=Bill |date=24 April 2024 |title=For anyone who is still confused on the topic, I am not voting for Biden. |url=https://x.com/billackman/status/1783294245215908143?s=46 |access-date=24 April 2024 |website=X}}</ref> in the upcoming election because of Biden's alleged lack of support for Israel and is open to voting for former President [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ackman |first=Bill |date=24 April 2024 |title=And yes, I am open to voting for @realDonaldTrump. |url=https://x.com/billackman/status/1783316096600187370?s=46 |access-date=24 April 2024 |website=X}}</ref> Ackman previously voted for Trump in the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 election]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ackman |first=Bill |date=25 April 2024 |title=Yes. I voted for @realDonaldTrump in 2016. |url=https://x.com/BillAckman/status/1783304961540948151 |access-date=9 June 2024 |website=X}}</ref>
Ackman was involved in a long-standing [[WhatsApp]] group chat that existed from October 2023 through early May 2024 with some of the United States' most powerful business leaders with the stated goals of "chang[ing] the narrative" in favor of Israel and "help[ing] win the war" on U.S. public opinion following [[2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel | Hamas's October 7th attack on Israel]].<ref name="chat">{{cite news |last1=Natanson |first1=Hannah |last2=Felton |first2=Emmanuel |title=Business titans privately urged NYC mayor to use police on Columbia protesters, chats show |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/05/16/business-leaders-chat-group-eric-adams-columbia-protesters/ |access-date=May 17, 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=May 16, 2024}}</ref> Information about the WhatsApp group chat was reported by [[The Washington Post]] on May 16, 2024.<ref name="chat"/> Members of the group chat discussed how they received private briefings by, and worked closely with, members of the [[Israeli system of government | Israeli government]], including former Israeli prime minister [[Naftali Bennett]]; [[Benny Gantz]], a member of the [[Israeli war cabinet]]; and Israel’s ambassador to the United States, [[Michael Herzog (ambassador) | Michael Herzog]].<ref name="chat"/> Group members, including Ackman, worked with the Israeli government to screen a film titled [[Bearing Witness (2023 film) | "Bearing Witness to the October 7th Massacre"]], which shows footage compiled by the [[Israeli Defense Forces]] portraying killings committed by Hamas on October 7th.<ref name="chat"/> Israel estimates 1,139 people were killed in Hamas's October 7th attack, including 695 Israeli civilians, 36 of whom were children, 373 members of the security forces, and 71 foreigners;<ref>{{cite news |title=Israel social security data reveals true picture of Oct 7 deaths |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231215-israel-social-security-data-reveals-true-picture-of-oct-7-deaths |access-date=May 20, 2024 |publisher=[[France 24]] |date=December 15, 2023}}</ref> between October 7th and the Post's report, the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health estimated that IDF attacks had killed more than 35,000 Palestinians
Members of the 2023-2024 WhatsApp group chat also held a video call in April 2024 with [[Mayor of New York City | New York City Mayor]] [[Eric Adams]] in an effort to, according to reporting by [[The Washington Post]], "pressure Columbia’s president and trustees to permit the mayor to send police to the campus" to shut down [[2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses | criticism]] of [[Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip (2023–present) | Israel's offensive military operations in Gaza]], which many campus protesters, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, civil servants, and governments around the world [[Allegations of genocide in the 2023 Israeli attack on Gaza | have alleged to be genocide]].<ref name="chat"/> During the video call, group members discussed making political donations to Adams.<ref name="chat"/> A spokesperson for Ackman said he had not participated in the group chat since January 10, 2024, and that although Ackman "likes and is supportive of the Mayor," he had never spoken to Adams about the Columbia protests or donated to Adams's campaign.<ref name="chat"/>
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