Iran threat takes center stage in US presidential campaign: Trump blasts Biden, Harris for telling Israel not to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities – ‘Craziest thing I’ve ever heard’
WASHINGTON, DC — With just 31 days to go before the all-important November presidential elections, the question of what U.S. foreign policy should be with regard to Israel, Iran and the raging war in the Middle East has become a top issue for both Democrats and Republicans.
It was the first question in the vice presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, The New York Times suggested – without convincing evidence – that Israeli leaders are trying to tilt the U.S. elections towards Trump.
“Five weeks before the election, it is clear that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a military and political timetable of his own,” the NYT reported on Friday.
“Now, all Ms. Harris can do is pray that the widening war in the Middle East does not overwhelm her candidacy and confirm in the minds of the last few undecided voters the idea that her opponent Donald Trump is promoting: that the world is out of control thanks to the weak leadership of the Biden-Harris administration.”
BIDEN WARNS NETANYAHU NOT TO ATTACK IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Also on Wednesday, President Joe Biden was asked directly by a reporter whether he would support an Israeli military attack to destroy Iran’s nuclear program.
Biden was unequivocal.
“The answer is no.”
TRUMP BLASTS BIDEN RESPONSE
On Thursday, former U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have no idea what they are doing in the Middle East and are dragging the world towards World War III.
“The two incompetent people running our country – and I don’t think they’re even running it – are leading us to the brink of World War III, a war like no other,” Trump said in Waunakee, Wisconsin.
He blasted Biden and Harris for giving the Iranian regime $6 billion in return for some American hostages.
Trump said that money “flooded” Iran with “American cash,” allowing it to fund terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah, Politico reported.
This morning in Saginaw, Michigan, a Fox News reporter asked Trump: “Biden says that Israel should not target Iranian nuke facilities – what are your thoughts on that? What should Israel do to respond?”
“I mean, that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” Trump replied.
The threat of Iran building nuclear warheads, Trump said, “is the biggest risk we have – the biggest risk we have is nuclear.”
“I mean, to make the statement, ‘Please leave their nuclear [program] alone?’ I would tell you that that’s not the right answer.”
“That was the craziest answer,” Trump repeated, blasting Biden again. “Because, you know what? Soon, they’re going to have nuclear weapons. And then you’re going to have problems.”
In his answer, Trump implied – though did not say explicitly – that as president he would strongly support an Israeli attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities given Iran’s unrelenting war against the Jewish state.
Separately, The Hill newspaper in Washington reported that Trump is worried that under Harris and Walz, the “world goes up in smoke.”
“I’ve been talking about World War III for a long time, and I don’t want to make predictions because the predictions always come true,” Trump is telling crowds and reporters.
Trump said that under Biden and Harris, the world is “very close to global catastrophe” which could get much worse if Harris becomes president.
“We have a nonexistent president and a nonexistent vice president who should be in charge but nobody knows what’s going on.”
Joel C. Rosenberg is the editor-in-chief of ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS and the President and CEO of Near East Media. A New York Times best-selling author, Middle East analyst, and Evangelical leader, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and sons.