As Israel’s war with Hamas rages, Trump places blame on Biden for the conflict

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday placed blame on President Joe Biden and his administration for Hamas’ deadly assault on Israel and insisted that such an attack would never have happened if he were still in the White House.

Speaking to supporters at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Trump’s remarks played out as more of a checklist of his own record in the Middle East and denunciation of Biden than an affirmation of solidarity with the United States’ closest ally in the region.

He boasted about his administration’s decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem — and at the low cost of just a few hundred thousand dollars — and repeated his baseless claim that the 2020 presidential election was rife with fraud and malfeasance, arguing that if it hadn’t been “rigged,” Israel would never have been attacked.

“If the election wasn’t rigged, there would be nobody even thinking about going into Israel,” Trump said. “The election was rigged. Very sadly rigged. But we’ll swamp them the next time and it’ll be bigger than anybody has ever seen.”

Under his leadership, “we had peace,” Trump said. “And I fought for Israel like no president in history, but then Crooked Joe Biden came along and tossed Israel to the blood-thirsty Jihadists.”

Trump, who was invited to speak by the group Club 47 USA, also seized on the fighting in Israel to stoke concerns that the U.S. southern border is vulnerable to being infiltrated by terrorists and bragged that, during his tenure in the White House, he had imposed a travel ban to keep people from certain countries — mainly in the Middle East and north Africa — out of the U.S.

Trump’s comments came four days after Hamas militants launched an incursion into Israel, resulting in the deadliest assault on the Jewish State in at least 50 years. Israel retaliated by declaring war and launching a barrage of strikes on the Gaza Strip. The fighting has so far killed more than 2,000 people, including at least 14 Americans.

Trump argued that there was no doubt that Biden was responsible for the brazenness of Hamas’ attack. He accused Biden of clearing the way for a $6 billion transfer of frozen funds to Iran, a longtime backer of Hamas, in exchange for freeing five American hostages, calling it “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.”

He also demanded that Biden “halt all funding” to causes and organizations that provide assistance to Palestinians, claiming that the same groups support terrorism in the region.

“Under my leadership, we will stand with Israel 100% and we will not let them fail,” said Trump, who at one point noted that U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz — one week removed from ousting former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — was in the audience.

Trump’s remarks echoed those of other Republicans, who have claimed that Iran was behind Hamas’ attack on Israel. Top U.S. and Israeli officials have said that they haven’t yet uncovered any evidence that Iran was involved in the attack, though they have placed blame on Tehran more broadly for funding and training Hamas militants over the years.

The U.S. has already taken a range of actions to assist Israel’s war effort, transferring munitions and working to replenish the country’s so-called “Iron Dome,” the air defense system intended to defend Israel from rocket fire. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also said on Tuesday that the U.S. was moving an aircraft carrier into the eastern Mediterranean Sea as a deterrent to adversaries who might otherwise look to involve themselves in the conflict.

Biden, for his part, has condemned Hamas’ attack on Israel in no uncertain terms, calling it an example of “unadulterated evil.” Ahead of Trump’s speech on Wednesday, Biden’s reelection campaign blasted out an email to reporters describing the former president as “too dangerous to lead the United States on the world stage.”

“While Trump continues to lie about his record, President Biden is laser-focused on providing steadfast support for Israel and leading on the global stage,” the email reads.

Trump’s remarks weren’t limited to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. He railed against the various criminal charges he’s currently facing, calling them the “Biden indictments,” and he took aim at a handful of his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Repeating a often-used talking point, Trump claimed that DeSantis would never have won the governor’s mansion in 2018 had it not been for his endorsement. He also railed against Florida’s sky-high property insurance rates and urged DeSantis to drop his presidential bid and return to Florida in order to deal with the crisis.

“Florida families are getting clobbered while he’s off on his failing campaign,” Trump said, reminding supporters of his massive polling lead in the 2024 primary.