Biden shifts focus away from domestic affairs as Israel war intensifies

President Joe Biden scrapped a trip to Colorado as Israel prepares for a major military operation against Hamas.

Biden’s decision comes after aides were adamant last week he could multitask and underscores the White House‘s concerns about the war and its political repercussions.

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Biden has been praised and criticized in the week since Hamas killed roughly 1,400 people in its Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, taking almost 200 others hostage. Supporters point to the president’s pro-Israel statements as the Israeli government strikes the Gaza Strip, while critics cite his light public schedule, which has been dedicated to promoting his economic policies, known as Bidenomics.

“Frankly, we don’t even know what Biden is up to these days because he does everything out of public and doesn’t take any questions on it,” one Republican strategist told the Washington Examiner. “It would be different if Biden had delivered any domestic or international wins over the past couple of years, but he hasn’t.”

“There is chaos at home and abroad, but Biden has become fully detached to the realities Americans are seeing every single day,” the strategist said. “I don’t hold out much hope that Biden will be able to balance any of that chaos, let alone all of it.”

But Colin Seeberger, a senior communications adviser for the liberal Center for American Progress Action, contended Biden is demonstrating that he “can walk and chew gum at the same time,” from coordinating a joint statement on Israel to helping Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions resolve their labor dispute.

“[The administration’s] ability to do so is yielding results here at home and across the globe,” he said. “It turns out that experience matters.”

American leadership on the world stage is important, particularly “during times of crisis,” according to Northeastern University political science professor Costas Panagopoulos.

“The current situation in the Middle East calls for U.S. attention, and the president is not neglecting this awesome responsibility,” he said. “It is less so the case that Biden is shifting his attention to foreign policy over domestic concerns, but rather that the president is tipping the balance toward global matters during this period of heightened tension that requires immediate attention before it escalates or devolves further.”

An ABC News-Ipsos poll this week found that 54% of the nation approves of Biden’s approach to the war, but public opinion could change the longer the conflict lasts as it has regarding Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine. A separate CNN poll found 71% of the country is deeply sympathetic toward Israel, compared to 41% who have “a lot of sympathy” for Palestinians.

That dynamic is reflected in liberal lawmakers, led by Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), last week writing to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken about ensuring Israel’s response is in accordance with international law and that the U.S. provides humanitarian assistance in Gaza. The State Department also advised diplomats not to say “de-escalation/ceasefire,” “end to violence/bloodshed,” or “restoring calm” before Biden this week additionally had to address the alleged hate crime killing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in Illinois.

“The child’s Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek — a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace,” he said. “This horrific act of hate has no place in America and stands against our fundamental values: freedom from fear for how we pray, what we believe, and who we are.”

As the White House considers a trip to Israel, Biden postponed a domestic counterpart to Rep. Lauren Boebert‘s (R-CO) district Monday. There, he was expected to speak at CS Wind, the world’s largest wind tower manufacturer, in Pueblo, Colorado, about Bidenomics, the Inflation Reduction Act, and his green energy policies after U.S. citizens were evacuated from Israel on a federal government-chartered cruise ship and as Egypt continues to block a crossing out of Gaza.

“The president will remain at the White House to participate in national security meetings,” a White House official said.

The White House later confirmed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris “were briefed by their national security team on the latest updates in the wake of Hamas’s abhorrent attack in Israel and the resulting conflict in Gaza” after a second aircraft carrier strike group was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean Sea near Israel to deter Iran and Hezbollah from expanding the war.

“[White House] chief of staff Jeff Zients joined the briefing led by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Bill Burns,” the official added.

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In an interview that aired this week, Biden told CBS he will ask Congress for billions for Israel and Ukraine after aides met with House lawmakers last week to discuss the president’s funding supplemental request.

“We’re the United States of America, for God’s sake, the most powerful nation,” Biden said. “We can take care of both of these and still maintain our overall international defense.”