Joe Biden appeared to read his teleprompter instructions during his address in the Oval Office on Thursday night, reading the words “Make it clear” as part of his sentence.
When the president spoke about the wars in Israel and Ukraine, he stated, “We’re going to have something that we don’t seek – make it clear that we don’t seek anything – we don’t want American troops fighting in Russia.”
Biden, 80, addressed the American people after arriving back in Washington DC on Thursday morning following a seven-hour trip to Israel.
Biden’s visit this year was his second to an active war zone: In February, he made a secret visit to Kiev to mark the anniversary of the Ukraine war.
“I was told that I was the first American since President Lincoln to enter a war zone that was not controlled by the U.S. military,” he said Thursday of the February visit.
President Joe Biden used his address to the American people on Thursday evening to warn Iran that it will be held accountable for supporting both Russia and Hamas
BIDEN vs. TELEPROMPTER: “We’re going to have something we don’t strive for. Make it clear that we do not seek it, we do not want American troops fighting in Russia. Or fight against Russia.” pic.twitter.com/6dNxS6meE4
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 20, 2023
Biden can be seen on Thursday giving his speech and reading from a teleprompter
The president declared Thursday that “American leadership holds the world together” and argued that the United States must increase its support for Ukraine and Israel amid two very different, unpredictable and bloody wars.
Biden acknowledged that “these conflicts can seem distant” and stressed in a rare Oval Office address that they “remain vital to America’s national security.”
He said he would ask Congress for billions of dollars in military aid for both countries.
“History has taught us that when terrorists do not pay a price for their terror, when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos, more death and more destruction,” Biden said.
“They keep going.” And the costs and the threat to America and the world continue to rise.”
Biden’s speech reflected a broad view of U.S. commitments abroad at a time when he faces political resistance to additional funding at home.
He is expected to ask for $105 billion on Friday, including $60 billion for Ukraine, much of which would replenish previously provided U.S. arms stockpiles.
Added are $14 billion for Israel, $10 billion for humanitarian efforts, $14 billion for managing the U.S.-Mexico border and combating fentanyl trafficking, and $7 billion for the Indo-Pacific region, which also includes Taiwan.
The proposal was described by three people familiar with the details, who insisted on anonymity ahead of the official announcement.
“It’s a smart investment that will pay dividends for American security for generations,” Biden said.
Biden speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday
A Russian missile is seen exploding after hitting a building in Kharkiv on October 6
He hopes that combining all of these issues into a single bill will create the necessary coalition for congressional approval.
His speech came the day after his important trip to Israel, where he expressed solidarity with the country following the October 7 Hamas attack and called for more humanitarian aid for Palestinians.
As Israel continues to bomb Gaza and prepares for a ground invasion, Biden increased emphasis on the deadly toll the conflict has taken on civilians there, saying he was “heartbroken by the tragic loss of Palestinian life.”
“Israel and the Palestinians equally deserve to live in security, dignity and peace,” Biden said.
He also warned of a rising wave of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in the United States, citing the murder of a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy.
“To everyone who hurts you, I want you to know that I see you.” You belong. And that’s what I want to tell you. “You are all Americans.”
As Biden seeks a second term in a campaign that will likely hinge on voters’ sentiment on the economy, he was careful to emphasize that the spending would create jobs for U.S. workers, citing the construction of missiles in Arizona and artillery shells in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas.
And he was a nod to one of his political heroes, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, saying that “just as in World War II,” the country is “building up the arsenal of democracy and serving the cause of freedom.”
Biden faces a number of major challenges as he tries to secure the money.
The House of Representatives remains in chaos because the Republican majority has been unable to select a speaker to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted more than two weeks ago.
In addition, conservative Republicans are opposing money to send more weapons to Ukraine as its fight against the Russian invasion approaches the two-year mark.
Biden’s previous funding request, which included $24 billion to support the next few months of fighting, was removed from budget legislation last month despite a personal appeal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
On the other side of the political spectrum, there will be resistance to military aid to Israel, which is bombing the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack.