Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a campaign rally held with Republican vice presidential nominee Senator JD Vance, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., Aug. 3, 2024 (Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas).
Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign on Monday released a new ad attacking the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over its foreign policy record, claiming that their policies are what led to Hamas’ Oct. 7 invasion and massacre in southern Israel.
The ad begins by showing footage of what appears to be Israeli strikes in Gaza, before running in reverse and showing Hamas rocket launches.
“Before thousands were brutally killed, including Americans,” the narrator’s voice chimes in.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2024
“Before Iran helped Hamas plan the attack, killing Americans,” the narrator continues. “Before Biden gave billions of taxpayer’s money to Iran – Trump played hard ball with Iran.”
The statements are underlined by news headlines flashing on the screen, including one from Axios on Oct. 17: “31 Americans killed in Israel,” and two headlines from The New York Post from the day after the attack: “Iran helped plan Hamas attack,” and “Biden $6 billion ransom to Iran.”
The footage shown during the clip includes a photo from a meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House.
The clip continues by saying that Trump “… destroyed ISIS, kept the Middle East at peace, kept us out of endless wars – through strength.”
At the end of the ad, Trump says: “History shows very plainly that evil only respects one thing: unyielding strength. When I’m back in the White House, our enemies will know if they spill a drop of American blood we will spill a gallon of yours.”
Without going into much detail regarding his opinions or potential policies, Trump has reiterated throughout the almost 11 months of the Gaza War that the invasion would not have happened had he still been in office, instead blaming Biden for the terror attack.
He also blamed U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris for the rise of “militant antisemitism” in the United States, and said repeatedly that Jews shouldn’t vote for Harris in the upcoming presidential election in November.
“If you’re a Jewish person or if you’re a person that is very pro-Israel, if you vote for her [Kamala], she’s worse than Biden, and Biden was bad, but if you vote for her, you ought to have your head examined,” he stated recently.
In posts on his social media platform, “Truth Social,” Trump said Harris “hates Israel,” when responding to her speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this month. “Wouldn’t even show up to Congress for [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s session,” he added.
In another post, Trump wrote Harris “caused the Attack of October 7th,” adding that during his presidency, “Iran was BROKE – Didn’t have money for Hezbollah.”
