former President Donald Trump took to the stage at a campaign rally in Wisconsin, where he lambasted the Biden administration in the wake of Iran’s historic missile barrage on Israel. Trump’s remarks centered on his belief that weak leadership in the White House has led to increased global instability, pointing specifically to the attack on Israel as a prime example.
“A short time ago, Iran launched 181 ballistic missiles at Israel,” Trump declared. “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. But they are very close to global catastrophe.”
The missile assault on Israel, which represents the largest in history, was reportedly launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in retaliation for the recent deaths of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran earlier this year. Iranian state media issued a stern warning, threatening “crushing attacks” if Israel retaliated.
August, 2023. Trump warns of the danger of Biden’s ransom payment to Iran.
Less than two months later Hamas attacked Israel and now Iran has declared war on Israel. Well done Joe. pic.twitter.com/0fzYnNEoqk
— MAZE (@mazemoore) October 1, 2024
Trump did not hold back his criticism of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, blaming their administration for what he sees as a dramatic shift in how global adversaries view the United States.
“That’s why Israel was under attack just a little while ago. Because they don’t respect our country anymore,” Trump told the crowd. “The so-called enemy doesn’t respect our country any longer.”
Trump specifically accused Biden of enabling Iran’s resurgence, alleging that the current administration has allowed Iran to become rich again. “They have $300 billion now. They’re rich… Kamala flooded them with American cash,” Trump asserted. He blamed Biden for reversing his policies that had left Iran in financial straits, claiming that during his presidency, Iran had little capability to sponsor terrorism through groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.
Trump’s criticism comes as Israel confirmed the missile attack and warned of a possible response. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, addressing the White House press corps, characterized the attack as “defeated and ineffective.” According to Sullivan, the U.S. military coordinated with Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF), deploying naval destroyers and air defense units to intercept the missiles.
“No deaths were reported on the Israeli side,” Sullivan noted, although reports indicated a Palestinian civilian casualty in Jericho. “This is a fluid situation,” Sullivan added, acknowledging the complex nature of the ongoing conflict.
Trump also fielded questions on comments he made last week in response to the two assassination attempts on his life, in which he threatened to “blow Iran to smithereens” if attacked. “The President of the United States should blow that country to smithereens if they try something like that again,” Trump said, affirming his hardline stance on Iran.
While the Biden administration continues to monitor the situation from the White House, Trump’s rhetoric highlights the sharp divide between his approach and Biden’s more diplomatic stance. Trump took the opportunity to assert that Iran’s missile capabilities and funding of terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah only grew stronger after Biden’s decisions, including a controversial sanctions waiver that allowed $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds to be transferred as part of a deal to free detained Americans.
The Pentagon confirmed that around 12 U.S. interceptors were fired to counter Iran’s ballistic missile attack, with the Israeli missile defense systems successfully blocking most of the threats.
The attack marks a significant escalation in Middle Eastern tensions, with Iran signaling further aggressive actions depending on Israel’s response. For Trump, it was yet another example of how, in his view, weak U.S. leadership is leading to increasingly dangerous global situations.
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