Former President Trump in a late-Friday rant claimed he was the only president who could protect Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas, a Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip.
“I kept Israel safe, remember that. I kept Israel safe,” he said in a video posted to Truth Social. “Nobody else will, nobody else can, and I know all of the players.”
“They can’t do it. But I kept Israel safe and I will keep Israel safe. Thank you very much,” he added.
In a separate video, Trump shifted blame for the conflict onto President Biden.
“Joe Biden’s total ineptitude, weakness and incompetence has led to this horrible attack on on Israel, and it will only get worse. It’s only going to get worse,” the former president said.
His comments come after Trump faced backlash earlier in the week for criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The former president, however, seemingly changed his tune a day later — praising the Israeli military for its “skill and determination” in the war.
Trump, the 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner, also claimed that the conflict wouldn’t have escalated under his leadership.
“We have to protect Israel, there’s no choice,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’s Brian Kilmeade. “And why do we have to do it? [Netanyahu] has been hurt very badly because of what’s happened here.”
“He was not prepared. He was not prepared, and Israel was not prepared,” he added. “And under Trump, they wouldn’t have had to be prepared.”
Israel declared war on Hamas after the militant group launched a surprise attack nearly a week ago. On Friday, Israel ordered 1 million people in Gaza City and southward to vacate their homes ahead of a potential ground operation.
More than 2,800 people on both sides have been killed in the airstrikes so far.
About 150 people have also been taken into Gaza by militants as hostages. Israel has blocked supplies — such as food, water and power — from entering the region until the hostages are freed.