Tim Scott Slams Joe Biden over Hamas Terrorism: He ‘Has Blood on His Hands’

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Speaking at the Hudson Institute on Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) slammed President Joe Biden over the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel that saw more than 1,000 people killed, 3,000 wounded, and 100 kidnapped, stating the president “has blood on his hands.” 

Scott contended Biden has put forth a “pattern of foolish policy choices that have undermined us and our allies.” 

The junior senator from South Carolina called out Biden and former President Barack Obama for sending “pallets of cash to Iran” during the 44th president’s administration, “rewarding Theran while pursuing terrorism and pursuing nuclear weapons.” He added this was despite warnings from Republicans that “Iran’s terrorist proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah, were going to reap part of the windfall.”

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Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades via Storyful

He then called out actions Biden has taken in his own administration that Scott said signaled American weakness on the world stage. 

“Just a few weeks ago, President Biden sent the same signal again. He rewarded Iran for taking American hostages by unlocking $6 billion for the Muhllas,” Scott said. “The administration says the money can only be used for humanitarian needs, but how naive can you be?” 

Notably, the Associated Press first reported on the hostage deal on the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Wall Street Journal, citing “senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah,” reported Sunday night that “Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas’s Saturday surprise attack on Israel and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut last Monday.” 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: How Hamas Took Israel by Surprise

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the administration had “not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack, but there’s certainly a long relationship” between Iran and Hamas.

Beyond “appeasement” of Iran, Scott said the Biden administration has “found other ways to create daylight between us and Israel.”

“Joe Biden has interfered in Israeli domestic politics and tried to weaken Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” he added. “He slow-walked inviting him to the White House and practically made him beg for that invitation while the world sat back and watched.” 

Scott declared that “Biden has blood on his hands.”

“His weakness invited the attack; his cash giveaways to Iran helped fund terrorism, and after the attack, his administration suggested that Israel just stand down,” he stated. “It’s a disgrace. We need a president who is loyal to our allies yet lethal to our adversaries because weakness has never purchased peace. Being passive is a provocation.”

Before Scott spoke, Biden delivered remarks at the White House while flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as Breitbart News noted. 

“Let there be no doubt: the United States has Israel’s back. We’ll make sure the Jewish and democratic state of Israel can defend itself — today, tomorrow, as we always have. It’s as simple as that,” Biden said.

Scott was also critical of some of his GOP primary opponents, specifically Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Vivek Ramaswamy, stating he “will always call out weakness or confusion among conservatives as well,” emphasizing “it is not an equal problem” on the right as it is the left.  

“Vivek Ramaswamy has said the definition of success is reducing America’s support for Israel, and he’s proposed that we surrender Taiwan to the Chinese Communist Party as long as we relocated some factories,” Scott said. 

“Gov. DeSantis once dismissed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as just a territorial dispute. The last thing we need is a Joe Biden Republican Party wing on foreign policy,” he added. 

He further seemed to take an indirect shot at former President Donald Trump, stating, “It is very damaging when Republicans keep repeating that our nation is a nation in decline.”

Trump has used the phrase numerous times at campaign rallies.