Joe Biden’s critics accuse him of ‘sleeping on the job’ as war breaks out in Israel and others wonder if he received the ‘3am phone call’ Hillary Clinton famously said every president should be ready to take.
Republican presidential candidate and GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis accused the president of being missing in action after his stunning revelation during a press conference Saturday.
The president referred to calls about the unfolding situation in the Middle East at around ‘7:30, 8 o’clock’ – eight hours after Hamas’s bombing of Israel began.
“When I got up this morning and it started at 7:30, 8:00, my calls …,” Biden began during a statement he made on Saturday.
Joe Biden referred to calls about the unfolding situation in the Middle East around ‘7:30, 8 hours’ – eight hours after Hamas’s bombing of Israel began.
Ron DeSantis accused the president of being missing in action after his stunning revelation during a press conference on Saturday
But some, including DeSantis, wonder why the commander-in-chief was not awakened during the most brutal attack on Israel in 50 years.
In a coordinated, multi-pronged attack, Palestinian terrorists infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip, seized settlements and captured and killed civilians celebrating a Jewish holiday.
Published reports from Israel indicate that more than 300 Israelis have been killed and 1,590 injured since Hamas launched its blitzkrieg with rockets and gangs of roving gunmen, who attacked civilians and soldiers alike across dozens of locations.
“I saw the president’s comments regarding the attacks on Israel. He said he was up at 7:30 in the morning, but, you know, it happened late, late last night into early morning,’ DeSantis said.
“The president needs to be there to answer the call when our top ally in the Middle East is under the gun.
‘You can’t sleep on the job. You have to get there, you have to do it, and you have to get involved.
“I think we need to see leadership here. We need a very clear voice, we need strong support for the state of Israel,’ he added.
Online, there were further questions as to whether Biden was told of the news in the wee hours of the morning.
‘Was this his first briefing on the attacks, which started around 8pm. 11:30 PM ET and continued through the night?’ asked a Twitter account for the Republican National Committee.
The post led to many users on social media also demanding answers as to why the president was apparently unaware of the attack until daylight.
The post led to many users on social media also demanding answers as to why the president was apparently unaware of the attack until daylight
“Told you they had to wake him up early. He usually sleeps until 10:00,” suggested one user.
“I was up most of the night when the story broke… AND I AM NOT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” added one.
“Biden hasn’t been up at 7:30 since he took the train as a senator!” joked another.
While stated in jest, such a comment may not be far from the truth.
Earlier this year, former White House press secretary Jennifer Psaki revealed how Biden does very little before 9am.
During the Silicon Valley Bank collapse in March, Psaki suggested that the fact that Biden was commenting at 9 a.m. showed how seriously he was taking the matter.
“It’s important to note, President Biden doesn’t do anything at 9:00 a.m. He is a night owl. So the fact that he’s doing it at 9:00 a.m. speaks to how essential the White House recognizes it is for him to have his voice out there,’ she told MSNBC.
One Democratic user was also quick to defend the hour at which Biden may have been briefed on the situation between Israel and Hamas.
‘The President with the Minister of Foreign Affairs by his side at the printer must first receive briefings in advance on any world event or crises before he goes before the public to speak about any event. Do you want him to get it wrong? I bet you do. Despicable!’ they wrote.
For some, it brought back memories of the 2008 US presidential election campaign, when Clinton suggested that she, rather than Barack Obama, would be the best leader of the free world to make a phone call in the middle of the night during a global crisis. take. .
Biden’s comments evoked memories of the 2008 US presidential election campaign, when Hillary Clinton suggested that she, rather than Barack Obama, would be the best leader of the free world to make a phone call in the middle of the night during ‘ take a global crisis.
The ‘3 a.m. phone call’ became part of political lexicon when Clinton deployed it in a Texas television ad asking voters who they wanted to answer the phone when the country was in crisis
Biden and top aides consulted with European and Middle East leaders on Saturday, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured)
The “3 a.m. phone call” quickly became part of the lexicon of the election when Clinton deployed it in a Texas television ad asking voters who they wanted to answer the phone when the country was in crisis.
‘The world is a dangerous place. At any time, our president can be called upon to act calmly, decisively, intelligently,’ the ad says.
Biden and top aides consulted with European and Middle East leaders on Saturday, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In remarks to reporters at the White House, Biden called the attacks “unconscionable” and vowed that his administration would ensure Israel had “what it needs to defend itself.”
“Let me make this as clear as I can: This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks for profit,” Biden said.
DeSantis accuses Biden of ‘sleeping on the job’ after president said he dealt with Israel, Hamas crisis at 7.30am – EIGHT HOURS after attacks began
