Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday night took aim at former President Donald Trump after he described Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, as “very smart.”
In remarks at a Club 47 event in West Palm Beach on Wednesday night, Trump blamed President Joe Biden for the deadly Israel-Hamas war by baselessly claiming that the Biden administration had funded the attacks with the $6 billion in oil revenue it recently unfroze as a result of a prisoner exchange with Iran, which has historically funded both Hamas and Hezbollah. Hezbollah has been exchanging fire across the border with Israel since Hamas’s surprise attack on the country last weekend.
“And then two nights ago, I read all of Biden security people — can you imagine National Defense people and they said ‘gee, I hope Hezbollah doesn’t attack from the north because that’s the most vulnerable spot,’” Trump said. “I said, ‘Wait a minute,’ You know, Hezbollah is very smart. They’re all very smart.”
Trump also went after DeSantis in his speech, saying that the Florida governor “has been flying around the country setting fire to his reputation and destroying the reputation frankly of Florida.”
DeSantis swiftly knocked Trump in a post to X that included a video of the former president’s remarks: “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.”
“As President, I will stand with Israel and treat terrorists like the scum that they are,” he added.
In a statement, the Trump campaign said, “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.”
DeSantis has sharpened his critiques against Trump in recent days, arguing that Democrats have a better chance of winning the White House in 2024 if Trump wins the GOP presidential nomination during an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Tuesday.
“I think a referendum on Joe Biden means we win, if I’m the candidate. I think a referendum on Donald Trump, if that’s it, then I think the Democrats would win,” DeSantis said on “Morning Joe.”
He said although there are “millions” of voters who disapprove of Biden, believe the country is heading in the wrong direction and “want to vote for a Republican,” Trump is “just a dealbreaker for them. They just won’t do it.”
Since Hamas launched its attacks against Israel last weekend, Republican 2024 presidential candidates have blamed the Biden administration for the attacks that have prompted an ongoing war. Several of the contenders have insisted, without evidence, that the U.S. funded the attacks as a result of the prisoner exchange deal with Iran.
Biden has repeatedly stressed his administration’s support for Israel amid its war with Hamas and efforts to free American hostages this week. His administration has also pushed back against the GOP criticism, insisting that the $6 billion in oil revenue that Iran recently regained access to did not come from U.S. taxpayer dollars.
“All of the money held in restricted accounts in Doha as part of the arrangement to secure the release of 5 Americans in September remains in Doha. Not a penny has been spent,” Treasury Undersecretary Brian Nelson tweeted, referring to the Qatari banks holding the funds. “These restricted funds cannot go to Iran — it can only be used for future humanitarian-related purposes. Any suggestion to the contrary is false and misleading.”
Israel has launched airstrikes into the Gaza Strip and Hamas has fired rockets toward Tel Aviv as the war stretches into its sixth day. Israel’s military said it is preparing for a possible ground operation in Gaza, a densely populated strip that is home to more than 2 million Palestinians, half of whom are children. The IDF’s preparations come after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed a wartime unity cabinet and vowed to “crush and destroy” Hamas.