White House aides and Democrat allies are “keenly aware” that President Joe Biden’s response to the war in Israel could affect his chance at a reelection bid in 2024, according to a Politico report.
As war breaks out in Israel after the Hamas’ terrorist attack on the country, Biden has come under scrutiny for being out of the public eye for the last two days. Though White House aides are downplaying the president’s lack of public appearances, Republicans and some within the West Wing are concerned that the president is not doing enough in public amid the crisis, according to a Politico report.
“The biggest challenge for the White House is bandwidth. We’re dealing with border issues, a government shutdown crisis, a bunch of radicals in the House, then on top of all of that, Ukraine, now Israel,” Pete Giangreco, a Democratic consultant who’s worked on multiple presidential campaigns, told the outlet. “But from a messaging standpoint, that’s all an opportunity because you can’t help but say, ‘at least this guy knows what he’s doing on the world stage.’ People don’t normally vote on foreign policy, but it goes to ‘can he do the job,’ which is a central contrast for us.”
Democrats are also worried that the White House may be overburdened amid calls for the president to address Ukraine, Israel and the House speaker race, Politico reported. The White House aides and Democrat allies of the West Wing are aware that how the president handles the Israel crisis could affect Biden’s legacy.
“Presidents have a responsibility to demonstrate U.S. resolve and leadership at moments like this,” Rory Cooper, former House Republican leadership aide told the outlet, adding that Biden could go to a “synagogue and pray with the Jewish community, or if you were to go to the embassy and sign a condolence book, which is frankly almost boilerplate for a U.S. president at moments like this.”
President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken walk into the State Dining Room to deliver remarks on the terrorist attacks in Israel at the White House on October 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
After coming under scrutiny for a variety of actions such as hosting a barbeque for White House staff while the war breaks out in the Middle East and capping public appearances before noon on Monday, Biden issued a statement Monday evening that pledged to “deploy experts” to help American citizens who are left in Israel following the terrorist organization Hamas’ attack on the country. (RELATED: The US Is Moving Hundreds Of Thousands Of Ammo Rounds Out Of Israel To Support Ukraine)
Biden also suggested that Americans left in Israel take a commercial flight out or utilize ground options to leave the country. Just hours before Biden made the suggestion, major airlines such as Delta, United and American Airlines halted their services to and from the country.
“President Biden’s decisive, experienced leadership and deep relationships have mobilized rapid support for Israel in the face of a hideous terrorist attack and rallied the world against Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine while delivering historic job growth and strong progress against inflation,” deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates told Politico. “This is a moment to double down on the mainstream values and the clear-eyed, stable leadership he is providing as commander in chief.”