White House slams GOP chairwoman’s Israel comments

The White House on Monday slammed Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel after she called the terrorist attacks in Israel over the weekend a “great opportunity” for Republican candidates to contrast their agenda with the Biden administration.

“At least nine Americans have lost their lives in these brutal terrorist attacks against the State of Israel. Hundreds of additional innocent people are dead. While apparently some individuals like Ronna McDaniel consider this loss of life and pain a ‘great opportunity,’ most Americans see it as a horrific tragedy,” deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement. 

“As the administration provides assistance to the Israeli Defense Force, this is a moment in which all Americans, regardless of political views, should stand shoulder to shoulder with one of our closest allies,” Bates continued. “No one can ever welcome this kind of hideous behavior or try to divide our country when we need to be united.”

Bates’s statement came after McDaniel appeared Saturday on Fox News in the aftermath of the attacks in Israel launched by the militant terrorist group Hamas.

In the interview, a Fox anchor asked McDaniel about the response of several Republican presidential candidates who were quick to blame Biden’s foreign policy for the violence unfolding in the Middle East and call for support for Israel.

“This is a great opportunity for our candidates to contrast where Republicans have stood with Israel time and time again and Joe Biden has been weak,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel had previously posted multiple times on social media condemning the terrorist attacks against Israel.

“The RNC and Chairman McDaniel have long been fierce advocates for Israel, its people, and condemned the attacks immediately. It’s despicable that the media is twisting Chairman McDaniel’s words and providing cover for Democrats that have repeatedly attacked Israel’s right to exist,” RNC Spokesperson Emma Vaughn said in a statement Monday.

More than 1,000 people have died in recent days following the attacks in Israel and amid fighting in Gaza. The State Department confirmed that at least nine Americans are among those killed.

Biden has spoken multiple times with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days and vowed to provide support for Israel. The president vowed Saturday that U.S. support for Israel would be “rock solid and unwavering” and warned Israel’s enemies against exploiting the situation for their own gain.

The Defense Department announced Sunday it was relocating military assets to the region to assist and that the U.S. would be providing munitions and other resources to Israel.

Updated at 1:09 p.m.