Former Vice President Mike Pence fiercely criticized President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would withhold weapons from Israel if it entered the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Pence accused Biden of hypocrisy, drawing parallels to the impeachment of his former boss, President Donald Trump, on similar grounds.
“I’m old enough to remember when Democrats impeached another president for supposedly withholding foreign aid that had been approved by Congress,” Pence said. “Stop the threats, Joe. America Stands with Israel.”
Pence argued that Biden’s actions were motivated by political expediency, stating that the Indiana Republican said Democrats used the same argument to impeach then-President Trump over his 2018 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Israel is our ally and the only message we should be sending is that we will stand beside them until they finish the job in Gaza and eradicate Hamas, once and for all,” Pence said. “Congress passed the legislation, President Biden signed it, and it is his job to execute it. He can’t withhold aid for political convenience.”
Pence’s comments were echoed by other Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who called for the House to initiate impeachment proceedings against Biden.
Meanwhile, billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman condemned Biden’s actions as “one of the worst acts against an ally of a sitting president ever.”
The White House has not yet responded to Pence’s reaction.
