A conservative activist who appeared alongside Donald Trump at campaign events in 2024 said she wanted to “lay low” in Israel for fear of being caught up in its escalating conflict with Iran.
Michaelah Montgomery told Newsmax, a conservative channel, that she was in Israel but didn’t want to risk trying to leave the country and become a target because of her Republican Party connections.
She said she did not want to be used as a “bargaining chip to force the United States to get involved” in the hostilities in the Middle East.
CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA/Getty Images
Why It Matters
Montgomery’s comments come amid concerns over whether the U.S. could become directly involved in the escalating violence between Israel and Iran.
What To Know
Montgomery attended Clark Atlanta University and during a meeting with Trump last year, praised the then-GOP presidential candidate for funding historically Black colleges and universities, according to Fox 5.
Images of the pair at a Chick-fil-A on Trump’s way to a fundraiser in Atlanta last August went viral at a time when Republicans were trying to make inroads with Black voters.
Trump introduced her on to the stage at his rally in Atlanta, where he praised her as “incredible” with a “tremendous future” and told her he would do “whatever I can to help you,” before giving her the podium.
Montgomery told the crowd she was the founder of Conserve the Culture, which she said helps “mobilize the HBCU students.”
🚨 Michaela Montgomery is currently in Israel. I’ve been in contact she’s safe, but cannot disclose her location for security reasons.
Keep her in your prayers. I can tell you firsthand: she’s not in the safest of places right now. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/6r7UoIKY6u
— The Patriots Prayer Network (@ThePatriotsPray) June 14, 2025
During her interview with Newsmax on Monday, she praised Trump’s leadership but suggested that as Iran continues with its retaliation against Israel’s strikes on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear capabilities, her ties to the U.S. president could put her at risk.
She said because of her “notoriety back in the states and my proximity to our president, it’s not safe for me to move with large groups.”
She said there was a “ring of fire” around Israel and the borders were not safe for somebody like her.
What People Are Saying
Michaelah Montgomery, conservative activist, on Newsmax: “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 in this conflict.”
Patriots Prayer Network, on X, formerly Twitter: “Michaela[h] Montgomery is currently in Israel. I’ve been in contact she’s safe, but cannot disclose her location for security reasons. Keep her in your prayers. I can tell you firsthand: she’s not in the safest of places right now.”
What Happens Next
Montgomery told Newsmax that “the State Department and other agencies were working to get me out” of Israel.
As speculation mounts over whether he will directly involve the U.S. in the hostilities, Trump has said he wanted a “real end” to the conflict.
