President Joe Biden was blasted on social media this week over a past anti-Trump tweet that critics said showed he should be impeached for withholding some weapons from Israel if it moves forward with a military operation in Rafah, Gaza.
“President Trump withheld Congressionally appropriated aid to Ukraine unless they granted him a political favor,” Biden tweeted as a candidate in 2019 about the impeachment push against Trump over a phone call with Ukraine that Democrats claimed was a “quid pro quo.”
“It’s the definition of quid pro quo. This is no joke—Trump continues to put his own personal, political interests ahead of the national interest. He must be impeached.”
Trump was ultimately impeached for “abuse of power” and “obstruction of Congress” related to his dealings with Ukraine.
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Donald Trump, Joe Biden (Getty Images)
Biden’s 2019 post drew immediate push back on social media from conservatives who argued that Biden’s recent move to withhold some military aid from Israel due to his objection to their military campaign in Gaza was similar to what Democrats accused Trump of during the impeachment.
“Joe Biden endorses his own impeachment,” Red State writer Bonchie posted on X.
“Wow — how newly relevant,” New York Post reporter Jon Levine posted on X.
“Joe Biden is withholding Congressionally appropriated aid to Israel unless they grant him a political favor. It’s the definition of quid pro quo,” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X.
“This is no joke—Biden continues to put his own personal, political interests ahead of the national interest. He must be impeached,” Federalist co-founder Sean Davis posted on X.
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“Joe Biden withheld Congressionally appropriated aid to uproot Hamas in a political pay off pro-Hamas radicals,” Trump adviser Stephen Miller posted on X. “This warrants impeachment and criminal investigation — including exploring all ties between Biden aides and Iran.”
Some have pushed back on the suggestion that Biden committed an impeachable offense, including those who have pointed to a 2020 report from the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan office that analyzes U.S. policy, that says, “The Arms Export Control Act of 1961 “prohibits the sale or delivery of U.S.-origin defense articles if the President finds that a recipient country has used such articles for unauthorized purposes.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a White House official dismissed the accusations of hypocrisy as “ridiculous.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convenes the weekly cabinet meeting at the Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 7, 2024. (REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool/File Photo)
“Senior administration officials had already made multiple public statements about Rafah similar to the President’s, including that we are also ensuring Israel gets every dollar appropriated in the supplemental,” the official said. “Trump failed to spend dollars appropriated by Congress that he was legally required to spend. This is about a purchase made by a foreign government using its own funds, not funds appropriated by Congress, and our decision whether to deliver that purchase right now, which could enable an operation we’ve publicly and privately objected to.”
House Republicans disagree with the assessment from the White House as evidenced by news on Friday that articles of impeachment were filed against President Biden over the controversy.
“In violation of his oath to faithfully execute the office of President and to uphold the Constitution, President Biden abused the powers of his office by soliciting a ‘quid pro quo’ with Israel while leveraging vital military aid for policy changes,” GOP Rep. Cory Mills said in a statement first reported by Fox News Digital.
“This egregious action not only compromised the credibility of the United States but also undermined the interests of our longstanding ally, Israel. Therefore, President Biden’s conduct warrants impeachment, trial, removal from office, and disqualification from holding any future office under the United States.”
President Joe Biden speaks at Abbotts Creek Community Center during an event to promote his economic agenda in Raleigh, North Carolina, on January 18, 2024. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Biden has faced criticism from members of his own party as well including Democratic Rep. Ritchie Tores, who said he suspects that Biden is “pandering to the far left.”
“It looks like election year politics was driving it,” Tores said. “That’s my impression.”
