The White House fired back at the head of the Republican National Committee for saying the attacks on Israel presented a 'great opportunity' for GOP candidates
- The White House condemned the chair of the RNC for comments she made about the attacks on Israel.
- Ronna McDaniel said on Saturday that the attacks presented a "great opportunity" for GOP candidates.
The White House condemned the chair of the Republican National Committee on Monday after she said on television that the recent attacks in Israel were a "great opportunity" for GOP candidates.
Answering a question from Fox News' Griff Jenkins on Saturday about how candidates were responding to the warfare, Ronna McDaniel said that Hamas' all-out attack on Israel over the weekend presented a key chance for Republicans vying to become the next president to make their case about why a Republican president should lead the country next.
"I think this is a great opportunity for our candidates to contrast where Republicans have stood with Israel, time and time again, and Joe Biden has been weak," McDaniel said. "And when America is weak, the world is less safe. We're seeing this not just with the war in Ukraine and with an emboldened China, but now with an attack on Israel."
Two days after McDaniel's comments, White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said, "No one can ever welcome this kind of hideous behavior or try to divide the country when we need to be united."
"At least nine Americans have lost their lives in these brutal terrorist attacks against the State of Israel," Bates said in a statement. "Hundreds of additional innocent people are dead. While apparently some individuals like Ronna McDaniel consider this loss of life and pain a 'great opportunity,' most Americans see it as a horrific tragedy. As the administration provides assistance to the Israeli Defense Force, this is a moment in which all Americans, regardless of political views, should stand shoulder to shoulder with one of our closest allies. "
Responding to the White House's comments about McDaniel, RNC Spokesperson Emma Vaughn told Insider it's "despicable that the media is twisting Chairman McDaniel's words and providing cover for Democrats that have repeatedly attacked Israel's right to exist."
"The RNC and Chairman McDaniel have long been fierce advocates for Israel, its people, and condemned the attacks immediately," Vaughn added.
Two members of Congress, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Rep. Dan Goldman of New York, were in Israel when the attacks began on Saturday but have since returned safely to the US.
While the Biden administration is reportedly planning on sending military and financial aid to Israel, the House is currently without a full-fledged speaker and the Senate is on recess this week, potentially hampering the US's ability to provide assistance quickly.