Several prominent Republicans have now reacted to President Joe Biden’s Thursday evening speech regarding the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia and the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In his address, the president pledged to actively engage in these conflicts.
“The shame of it all is that we wouldn’t be in this terrible position if Joe Biden hadn’t been so weak in Afghanistan, so slow in Ukraine, so pandering to Iran, and so absent from the border,” Nikki Haley, a Republican presidential candidate, said. “The world is on fire, and America needs strong new leadership to deal with it.”
The speech received harsh criticism, with many describing it as “incredible” and “utterly shameful.” Biden’s focus on Ukraine in his address involved a commitment to submit an “urgent budget request” to Congress with the aim of strengthening America’s national security and aiding crucial allies such as Israel and Ukraine.
Haley expressed her disapproval of Biden’s global strategy, especially in anticipation of his speech.
“Biden cozied up to Iran, giving it billions of dollars & easing sanctions. Biden talks a big game on Russia, but was too slow in providing Ukraine with the weapons to beat Russia quickly. Biden’s weakness on Moscow & Tehran has strengthened Beijing,” she said.
Tim Scott, a Republican presidential hopeful and Senator from South Carolina, remarked, “Biden provided $6 billion to the primary state sponsor of terrorism.” During an appearance on “Hannity,” he further discussed the President’s speech, stating, “Our ally, Israel, was targeted by a terrorist organization, and the focus of tonight’s speech was more on Ukraine than Israel.
That’s astonishing.” Scott also expressed his belief that Biden should have conveyed a clearer message to Iran about the consequences they might face for supporting terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Joe Concha, a Fox News contributor, noted that Biden took credit for being the first U.S. president to visit Israel during wartime. “Biden has now twice patted himself on the back for being the first American president to go into a war zone. This speech is an absolute mess,” Concha said.
Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio took issue with Biden’s apparent connection between the two global conflicts in an effort to advocate for increased aid to Ukraine.
“I think what the president did is completely disgraceful. If he wants to sell the American people on $60B more to Ukraine, he shouldn’t use dead Israeli children to do it. It was disgusting,” Vance said.
Fox News host Sean Hannity critiqued the speech, expressing his desire for more details on the recent events in Israel. Dana Perino, another Fox News personality, shared her disappointment, stating, “I prepared all day to love this speech. I prepared to want to stand up and cheer, and at times I felt like we were reading a speech whose pages had been mixed up out of order.”
Republican congressional candidate J.R. Majewski interpreted the address as a promotional effort for Trump’s potential 2024 campaign.
“That entire Biden speech was a campaign ad for Trump 2024,” Majeski said. “Trump never gave speeches about how badly we needed to help the world because of the wars that he caused, because he never caused these problems.”
Although the speech faced criticism from many Republicans, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lauded Biden’s address.
“I thank Joe Biden for his powerful address. Together, we will not allow hatred destroy freedom, and we will not let terrorists destroy democracy,” Zelenskyy said.
Following his visit to Tel Aviv, where he held meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials, Biden’s address reaffirmed his dedication to the safety of American troops and underscored the significance of the congressional aid package in promoting peace and prosperity in regions such as Israel.
