Former President Donald Trump placed the blame for the ongoing war in Israel on his 2020 rival, saying that it was President Joe Biden’s fault that Hamas launched its surprise attack.
The comments from Trump came while he spoke before the Republican Jewish Coalition leadership summit on Saturday.
Trump said that the White House had lost its power on the world stage and that “Joe Biden’s weakness caused the attack on Israel.”
The former president also said that he didn’t think Biden was doing enough to combat antisemitism across the United States.
“As president, I will absolutely protect our Jewish citizens from these maniacs, lunatics, radical left thugs. Threats or crimes of violence against Jews will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.
Trump’s remarks come after he criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month during an interview with Fox News.
“[Netanyahu] has been hurt very badly because of what’s happened here. He was not prepared. He was not prepared, and Israel was not prepared,” Trump told Fox News on October 11.
Still, Trump didn’t shy away from playing the role of a “pro-Israel candidate,” placing blame for the war on Biden, saying he has “turned a blind eye to the greatest outbreak of antisemitism in American history.”
Trump also condemned pro-Palestinian demonstrations being held across the country while slamming Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who have called for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel and have been critical of Israel over its response to the Hamas attack.
As for college students protesting Israel and its war on Hamas, Trump expanded on his prior remarks about deporting “anti-American and antisemitic foreigners.”
“We’ll terminate the visas of all of Hamas’ sympathizers, and we’ll get them off our college campuses, out of our cities, and get them the hell out of our country if that’s OK with you,” Trump said Saturday.
The White House issued a statement on Saturday in regards to Trump’s comments, saying his proposed travel ban was “vile” and “un-American.”
“The need to come together against rancid hate is more pressing now than ever, as American Muslims and Arab Americans increasingly find themselves the targets of appalling smears and heartbreaking violence,” the White House said.
