As South Carolina Sen Tim Scott tried to defend his previous claims about the Hamas-Israel war, an ABC host condemned the 2024 hopeful’s comments as “beyond the pale.”
ABC’s This Week host Jonathan Karl confronted Mr Scott’s accusation that President Joe Biden had “blood on his hands” after Hamas’ deadly attack earlier this month. Karl asked if the 2024 Republican candidate just said those words “in the heat of the campaign” and now regrets it.
“I don’t, actually. I’m a happy warrior, without any question,” Mr Scott said. “When you think about the fact that the weakness of Joe Biden attracts conflict around this world, and frankly, the negotiations with Iran was specifically what I was talking about: $6bn for hostages only creates a bigger market for Americans abroad.”
The South Carolina Republican was talking about the deal made between the US and Iran — before the attack by Hamas — regarding the release of American prisoners in exchange for Iranian oil money.
He continued, “That money, we know Hamas’s first thank you was to Iran. Ninety per cent of their money comes from Iran. Put those pieces of the puzzle together. That’s why this administration froze those dollars just last week.”
Karl said, “I’m glad you mention they froze the money, because none of that money has gone to Iran. None of it.”
Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that the deputy Treasury Secretary told House Democrats that Iran would no longer have access to the funds, which was set to be used for humanitarian purposes. Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed this, saying the funds “never touched Iranian hands,” according to ABC News.
The host continued, “You said that he has blood on his hands. With all due respect, the blood is on the hands of Hamas, and to say that Biden is complicit, which you also said in the greatest, deadliest attack, on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, I mean, that’s beyond the pale, isn’t it?”
The senator argued that negotiations create “a market for American lives to be lost.”
“When you pay $6 billion, do not be surprised when the result of that $6 billion leads to more conflict in the Middle East,” Mr Scott added. “I’m saying with great clarity that weakness from the American president, plus the negotiations, leading to terrorist attacks by negotiating with the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world. Yes, it creates complicity.”
“But I think we can agree that the blood is on the hands of Hamas. That’s who is to blame for what happened,” Karl tried to clarify again, to which Mr Scott replied: “We can agree that -- no doubt, the person who pulls the trigger is primarily responsible, but that does not release the president of our country as being complicit and responsible in what we’re seeing.”
