Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) sharply criticized President Joe Biden during an address she gave in Israel last week. The statements came as Stefanik was reportedly being considered by former President Donald Trump to be his potential running mate.
The representative said during an address before Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, that Biden’s policies towards Israel were dangerous.
“I have been clear at home, and I will be clear here: There is no excuse for an American president to block aid to Israel, aid that was duly passed by the Congress. There is no excuse to ease sanctions on Iran, paying a $6 billion ransom to the world’s leading state sponsor of terror or to dither and hide while our friends fight for their lives,” she said.
“No excuse. Full stop,” she added.
Rep. Stefanik rallies for ‘total victory’ over Hamas during trip to Israel, blasts Biden https://t.co/aJvg4TWHkQ pic.twitter.com/xUcidIfSpI
— New York Post (@nypost) May 19, 2024
Stefanik referenced a recent comment by the president that he would withhold weapons shipments to Israel if it moved to attack Hamas’ last stronghold of Rafah.
“The enemy is inside more than just the gates of the United Nations. It is also in powerful Western institutions in my country and beyond, where the virus, the vile virus of antisemitism, is spreading. This is why total victory means not just physical self-defense but ideological self-defense,” she said.
During the address the representative also complimented Trump, saying that he could help bring peace to the region.
She also called herself a “leading proponent and partner” of Trump. Stefanik also cited her support for Israel.
Stefanik has become one of the former president’s strongest backers in Congress. She has repeatedly condemned the criminal prosecutions of the former president, calling them political in nature.
Furthermore, Stefanik’s profile is reportedly being considered by Trump. The former president is also weighing North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and J.D. Vance (R-OH) and several others, according to media reports. First Lady Melania Trump is reportedly pushing for former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to take the post.