The Trump campaign said critics have taken the former president’s recent remarks on the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah out of context.
The White House and some Republican presidential hopefuls, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have criticized former President Donald Trump over his remarks on how Hezbollah “is very smart,” amidst the escalating conflict in the Middle East since Hamas terrorists launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
President Trump made the remarks during a speech at his largest fan club, Club 47 USA, in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Oct. 11. During his talk, the former president expressed support for Israel, while criticizing President Joe Biden for enriching Iran and emboldening terrorists.
“Two nights ago I read all of Biden’s security people … and they said, ‘Gee, I hope Hezbollah doesn’t attack from the north, because that’s the most vulnerable spot.’ I said, ‘Wait a minute. You know, Hezbollah is very smart.’ They’re all very smart,” President Trump said during his speech.
The former president then criticized the Israeli defense minister. He said: “And they have a national defense minister or somebody saying, ‘I hope Hezbollah doesn’t attack us from the north.’ So the following morning they attacked.”
On Sunday, Israel fired barrages of artillery into southern Lebanon after Hezbollah targeted three Israeli military positions in the disputed Shebaa Farms. Since then, there have been more exchanges of fire between the two sides.
Responses
In response to President Trump’s comments, President Biden took to X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “Our nation’s support for Israel is resolute and unwavering. And the right time to praise the terrorists who seek to destroy them is never.”
Mr. DeSantis took to X to say President Trump’s comments were “absurd.”
“Terrorists have murdered at least 1,200 Israelis and 22 Americans and are holding more hostage, so it is absurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel, much less praise Hezbollah terrorists as ‘very smart,’” the Florida governor wrote.
The Trump campaign’s “War Room” account on X responded to the criticism, saying that “smart does not equal good.”
“President Trump was clearly pointing out how incompetent Biden and his administration were by telegraphing to the terrorists an area that is susceptible to an attack. Smart does not equal good. It just proves Biden is stupid. And now you look stupid, Ron,” the campaign wrote.
The DeSantis campaign has since fired back at the Trump campaign over its statement.
“No matter what rhetorical gymnastics act his campaign team tries to perform to attempt to once again cover for him, nobody can change the fact that last night Donald Trump showed his true colors by insulting Israelis during one of their darkest hours and simultaneously complimenting one of the terrorist groups that continue to pose a grave threat to Israelis and Americans alike,” said Andrew Romeo, communications director for the DeSantis campaign, in a statement. “It is disturbing and disqualifying.”
Former Republican congressional candidate Laura Loomer defended President Trump, giving a first-person account of what she heard from the former president.
“I was there tonight. President Trump said Hezbollah’s sneak strategy was smart. He said they were smart enough to evade Israeli intelligence and have made their way across the US border,” Ms. Loomer wrote in an X post, before telling the Florida governor to drop out of the 2024 race.
President Trump continues to lead in FiveThirtyEight’s GOP presidential primary poll average. As of Oct. 11, the average shows the former president with 58 percent support nationally, leading second-place Mr. DeSantis by 45.5 percentage points.
From The Epoch Times
