US President Joe Biden has publicly criticized former President Donald Trump for his comments on Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. The controversy arose when Trump, during a campaign speech in Florida, described Hezbollah as “very smart”. This comes at a time when the group is involved in conflict with Israel following an attack by Hamas.
Biden responded to Trump’s comments on X, the social media platform that replaced Twitter. He said that the US support for Israel was “resolute and unwavering” and that it was never appropriate to ‘praise the terrorists who seek to destroy them’.
Trump’s comments also drew sharp criticism from the White House and Israel. White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates called Trump’s remarks ‘dangerous and unhinged’. Israel’s Communications Minister, Shlomo Karhi, said that Trump could not be trusted and that he was harming the morale of the Israeli army and people.
Israel has been under attack from Hamas militants in Gaza since Saturday, when they launched a surprise offensive that killed 1,200 people and took about 150 hostages. Israel has retaliated by bombing and shelling Hamas targets in Gaza, killing over 1,350 people. Israel’s defense has also been challenged by clashes with Hezbollah in the north, which has fired rockets and shells across the border.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is trailing behind Trump in the race for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination, also slammed Trump for his remarks. He said that it was absurd for anyone, especially a presidential candidate, to attack Israel and praise Hezbollah terrorists as “very smart”.
Trump issued a statement on Thursday evening but did not address his comment on Hezbollah. He said that he was the best friend and ally of Israel and that Biden’s ‘weakness and incompetence’ had empowered and emboldened the enemies of the US and Israel.