Chris Cuomo Slams 'Weak' Biden for 'Mixed Messages' on Israel-Hamas Conflict After Call for Ceasefire
NewsNation host Chris Cuomo tore into President Joe Biden for delivering "mixed messages" about the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
April 5 2024, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
NewsNation host Chris Cuomo tore into President Joe Biden for what he called "mixed messages" about the conflict between Israel and Hamas, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Cuomo said Biden should take a tougher stance on the war, rather than treating it "as if it were another political point of compromise."
His comments stemmed from a call between Biden and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, in which Biden called for a ceasefire in Gaza after seven food aid workers were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
President Joe Biden has been unwavering in his support of Israel, but called the country's operations in Gaza "over the top."
The president said America's continued support of Israel would hinge on Netanyahu taking steps to protect civilians and workers in Gaza. The call marked a shift in the administration's unwavering support of Israeli war efforts, as the Associated Press reported.
Cuomo criticized the president's statements, including his calls for a ceasefire, as "a lot of words, a lot of conditional language, a lot of half-speak," and argued the war is "a situation that is not about balance. It is about realities."
“You gave a mixed message. You talked tough, what sounded like a threat to your main ally in the region. And then you said you’re giving them more weapons," the former CNN anchor said.
Cuomo made the comments on Thursday after Biden's call with Israel's prime minister.
He also demanded transparency regarding the strike on aid workers and emphasized the priority should be on returning hostages before progress can be made.
"There’s a primary reality, okay? We seem to have forgotten it. Hamas is a terror organization," the former CNN anchor said, addressing Biden. "You designated them as that. They stole people. They need to give the people they stole back to us, to Israel, first. The hostages have become an afterthought and that is wrong."
While acknowledging Biden was under political "pressure from the left," Cuomo felt the president "misplayed" the situation.
Anti-government protests erupted in Israel after air strikes killed seven food aid workers in Gaza.
"I get it, and I get how tight the race is," the anchor retorted. "And I get how worried you are that you’re not going to have the same base you had the last time. But that is not an excuse to be weak."
Following the call with Biden, Netanyahu’s office announced that a border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel would be temporarily reopened and that a port would begin allowing shipments through to the region.
White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson, who supported the moves, said the plan “must now be fully and rapidly implemented."
“As the President said today on the call, U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers,” Watson said, per AP.
However, Cuomo said that while Biden's actions may have appeased his "left flank that is hyper-sympathetic to the suffering in Gaza," he warned the president's failure to take a more decisive stance on the conflict could harm his presidential run.
"Your job is to do something about it. And if you want to help it stop, deal with the suffering and do it smart. That’s why you’re running for office. And if you keep it like today, you’re right: This issue may beat you," Cuomo remarked.
Netanyahu rejected a ceasefire deal that critics argue could have saved the hostages' lives.
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Cuomo's critique came a day after RadarOnline.com reported on White House spokesman John Kirby's tense debate with Fox News' Peter Doocy about Biden's position on the war.
While Kirby insisted the president's support of Israel continued to be "unwavering," as the president himself has stated, Doocy argued the administration was trying to have it "both ways."
"He is wavering. How is he not wavering?" Doocy asked Kirby, to which the spokesman replied that Biden's "support for Israel’s self-defense remains ironclad."
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