In the wake of Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel, Republicans have taken aim at President Biden, arguing that the president’s “non-deterrent” stance has only emboldened Iran.
“President Biden telling the bad guys, ‘Screw it,’ is actually an effective deterrent. Every time he says, ‘Screw it,’ they do it,” RS.C. wrote Sen. Lindsey Graham in a post to X. Saturday.
Iran launched more than 300 missiles and drones into Israel on Saturday, in an apparent response to reports of Israel’s involvement in an airstrike that killed a senior Iranian official at the Syrian embassy in Damascus, the Syrian capital. Graham’s comments after the barrage.
The Israel Defense Forces and allied forces have been preparing for a possible retaliatory attack by Iran since the attack, with Israel saying that about 99% of the weapons Iran fires at the country are linked to advanced defense systems and regional military allies. claims to have been intercepted by .
Biden calls for G7 meeting to counter Iran’s ‘brazen’ attack
President Joe Biden speaks remotely at the National Action Network Convention from Southcourt Auditorium at the White House, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Biden warned on Friday that an attack on Israel by Iran could take place over the weekend, telling reporters that his message to the Islamic Republic was “screw it.”
But Iran carried out the brazen attempt anyway, which Republicans blamed on the president’s “weakness.”
“Biden’s approach to Iran and the Middle East is backwards,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R.S. “At the risk of entering World War III, the United States must support Israel’s commitment to democracy. The president must stand firm and immediately stop coddling Iran. ” he wrote to X.
“Foreign policy is not complicated. Suggesting that you might withdraw support for an ally like Israel reduces deterrence. When deterrence declines, adversaries are emboldened to attack.” Republican Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw told X. After the attack.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) listens to testimony during a House Select Committee on Climate Crisis hearing on June 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
After firing missiles and drones at Jewish state, Iran proposes ban on Israel to ‘end’ attacks
Biden’s “stop it” comments were heavily criticized by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo even before the Iran attack, and the former Trump administration official called Biden’s response “really dangerous” during an appearance on Fox News.
“Well, he said ‘no,’ over and over again, but ‘no,’ is not national security policy,” Pompeo said. “It’s not even a deterrent.”
Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, Friday, March 3, 2023. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump came under attack himself at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, saying the United States had shown “great weakness” under the Biden administration, leading up to the attempted attack on Israel.
“I want to say, ‘God bless the people of Israel.’ They’re under attack right now, but if we had been president, none of this would have happened.” said President Trump.
Iran claims to have launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel after launching a drone
During his time in office, Trump was well-known for issuing stern warnings to America’s adversaries on social media, and his social platform Truth Social also posted a tweet in which the then-president warned Iran: reposted an all-caps tweet from 2018. Serious consequences of threatening the United States.
President Donald Trump speaks as he arrives at the White House on Thursday, November 5, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“To President Rouhani of Iran: Never threaten the United States again, or you will suffer consequences like never before in history. This is not a country that supports violence and words of death.” Be careful! ” Trump said at the time.
Mr. Graham argued that such attacks against Israel would not have occurred if Mr. Trump were still in office.
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“This would not have happened on President Trump’s watch,” Graham said on TV’s “X”. “I hope Americans take a close look at how dangerous the world has become over the last three years.”
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
