Former President Donald Trump criticized his rival, President Joe Biden, for allowing the Iranian attack to happen against Israel on Saturday.
“Before going any further, I want to say God bless the people of Israel. They’re under attack right now. That’s because we show great weakness,” Trump told supporters in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. “The weakness that we’ve shown is unbelievable, and it would not have happened if we were in office. You know that. They know that, and everybody knows that.”
“This is an attack that wouldn’t wouldn’t have happened. I mean to think about, to think about what you have to go through,” he said. “Ukraine would have never happened. Israel being attacked both October 7th and today would have never happened.”
Trump joins other notable Republican politicians in sharing their unease about Biden’s handling of Iran.
“As Israel faces this vicious attack from Iran, America must show our full resolve to stand with our critical ally. The world must be assured: Israel is not alone,” House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X. “I will continue to engage with the White House to insist upon a proper response. The Biden administration’s undermining of Israel and appeasement of Iran have contributed to these terrible developments.”
During his tenure in office, Trump cracked down hard on Iran, implementing several aggressive policies. He withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018, criticizing it for being too lenient and inadequately addressing Iran’s missile program and regional actions. Following this, his administration reimposed economic sanctions targeting Iran’s oil exports, banking, and shipping sectors. Most notably, in 2020, Trump ordered a drone strike that killed top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.
