Closing summary
It’s been a tense day in Washington, the terrible conflict in Israel casting a shadow over national politics, and House Republicans getting ready to try to elect a new speaker – a gap in Congress made to look ever more gaping by the Middle East tumult.
This blog is closing now. It will resume on Wednesday morning US time. The Israel-Gaza global live blog continues here.
Here’s how the day went:
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, will travel to Israel on Wednesday, arriving Thursday, to meet with Israeli officials show US solidarity following attacks from Hamas.
At least 20 Americans are missing in Israel amid ongoing fighting, in addition to the 14 Americans known to have been killed so far, according to the White House.
Joe Biden confirmed that Americans are among the people being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas militants.
Biden called the attacks by Hamas on southern Israel an act of “sheer evil” and reiterated in a speech from the White House that “we stand with Israel”.
The special counsel for the federal January 6 election subversion case against Donald Trump has requested that the former president be restricted from doing juror research and publishing the identities of jurors in the case.
The special counsel also filed a request asking that Donald Trump be required to say if he will advance an “advice of counsel” defense.
House Republicans supporting Kevin McCarthy plan to nominate the former House speaker, who was ousted from the post just days ago, for the position again during the upcoming election on Wednesday.
Republicans are under pressure to elect a new House speaker ASAP this week, amid the Hamas-Israel crisis reverberating across the globe.
Updated
Israel-Hamas war upends Biden's Middle East strategy
Until last weekend, the Biden administration was counting on the Middle East to remain relatively calm while it quietly pursued its main policy goals there: brokering the Israeli-Saudi detente and containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Reuters writes.
Those hopes were shattered when Palestinian Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from Gaza and rampaged through towns on Saturday, killing hundreds and abducting scores more. Israeli forces have retaliated by pounding the coastal enclave, killing hundreds and imposing a total blockade there.
After keeping the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict at arm’s length, Joe Biden now finds himself thrust into a crisis likely to reshape his Middle East policy, and into an uneasy alliance with the far-right Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. He is dispatching the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, to meet with Israeli leaders this week.
It is a politically risky situation for a president seeking re-election in 2024, one that could have significant implications for world oil prices and pull US resources and attention away from what until now has been his defining foreign policy challenge – Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The surprise Hamas attack has dealt a blow to US efforts to broker a landmark normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia and complicated Washington’s approach toward Iran, Hamas’s longtime benefactor.
While US officials insist that their bid to establish ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, longtime foes, can survive the crisis, many experts take a more pessimistic view.
Quite simply, all efforts at normalization are on hold for the foreseeable future,” said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, contradicting the official US government line.
Khaled Elgindy, a former Palestinian negotiations adviser, accused the Biden administration of leading an Israeli-Saudi normalization process that mostly bypassed the Palestinians and their hopes of ending Israeli occupation.
That sort of neglect is part of why we’re seeing what we’re seeing,” he said.
Updated
Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, will travel to Israel this week to show US solidarity following attacks from Hamas, the Associated Press reports.
The state department confirmed Blinken’s visit on Tuesday.
Blinken will talk with Israeli officials about “what additional resources we can give them”, said the state department spokesperson Matthew Miller, the AP reported.
Blinken will leave for Israel on Wednesday and arrive on Thursday.
Updated
At least 20 Americans unaccounted for in Israel
At least 20 Americans are missing in Israel amid ongoing fighting, according to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
14 Americans have also been killed in Israel, in addition to the 20 who are unaccounted for.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Sullivan confirmed that more than a dozen Americans have not been accounted for as fighting escalates between Israel and Hamas.
“We believe that there are 20 or more Americans that are missing. I want to underscore that does not mean 20 or more are being held hostage. That is the number unaccounted for... We do not know how many hostages we have at this time,” said Sullivan, reported the Guardian’s David Smith.
Sullivan: "We believe that there are 20 or more Americans that are missing. I want to underscore that does not mean 20 or more are being held hostage. That is the number unaccounted for... We do not know how many hostages we have at this time."
— David Smith (@SmithInAmerica) October 10, 2023
Updated
Biden ended his remarks with a stark message of support for Israel:
“We’re with Israel. Let’s make no mistake.”
Biden, accompanied by Vice president Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony, left without taking any questions from the press.
Biden added that the police departments of several US cities have beefed up security around centers of Jewish life.
Biden added that national security officials are working to identify and disrupt domestic threats that “could emerge in connection with these horrific attacks”.
Biden added: “There’s no place for hate in America, not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against anyone.”
Biden confirms Americans among those held hostage in Gaza
Biden also confirmed that Americans are among the people being held hostage in Gaza.
Similar news came on Monday from the Israeli ambassador to the UN.
From CNN’s Kaitlan Collins:
President Biden confirms what the Israeli ambassador to the UN said last night — Americans are among those being held hostage in Gaza.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 10, 2023
At least 100 people have been taken captive by Hamas, said Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen on Monday.
Updated
Biden has made it clear that the US is committed to supporting Israel materially.
“We will make sure Israel has what it needs,” said Biden.
Biden added: “There is no justification for terrorism. Hamas doesn’t stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity…they use Palestinian civilians as human shields.”
Biden also noted that Congress has been asked to “take urgent action” to fund the “national security requirements of our critical partners.”
Biden added that the “Israel has a duty to respond to these vicious attacks.”
Biden compared the actions of Hamas to the “worst acts” of the terrorist group ISIS, specifically naming reports that Hamas is raping individuals and killing children.
Biden: We stand with Israel
Biden opened his remarks by saying that the attacks were done by “the bloody hands of the terrorist organization Hamas.”
“This was an act of sheer evil”, said Biden, adding that more than 1,000 civilians were “slaughtered” in Israel.
Biden confirmed that at 14 American citizens were killed. He also said Americans were among the hostages in Gaza.
Biden added: “In this moment, we must be crystal clear. We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel.”
Updated
Biden posted a snapshot from his meeting with Netanyahu to X, formerly known as Twitter.
From the official President of the United States’ account:
[The Vice president] and I sat down with our teams to receive a situation update on the terrorist attack in Israel and to direct next steps.
We connected with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss coordination to support Israel, deter hostile actors, and protect innocent people.
.@VP and I sat down with our teams to receive a situation update on the terrorist attack in Israel and to direct next steps.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 10, 2023
We connected with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss coordination to support Israel, deter hostile actors, and protect innocent people. pic.twitter.com/u4xOHMeMqw
Biden and Harris wrapped up a phone call about a half hour ago with Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss US support of Israel.
Biden is expected to give remarks shortly on escalating fighting in Israel.
From the Wall Street Journal’s Catherine Lucey:
President Biden and VP Harris just concluded a call with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss our support for Israel, per pooler @catherine_lucey.
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) October 10, 2023
Biden has yet to make remarks from the White House about escalating fighting between Israel and Hamas.
In other news, Republican Steve Garvey has entered the California Senate race.
The former Dodgers baseball player will be running for the Senate seat left by the late senator Dianne Feinstein, the Los Angeles Times reports.
“In those 20 years that I played for the Dodgers and the Padres, played up in cold Candlestick Park, I never played for Democrats or Republicans or independents,” Garvey said to the Times. “I played for all the fans, and I’m running for all the people.”
Garvey, 74, is a relative political newcomer, but brings some celebrity to the upcoming election.
Garvey told the Times he was inspired to run after witnessing dysfunction in Washington DC and being told by a Dodgers fan that they would vote for Garvey.
Garvey faces several top Democrats for the position, including California representatives Barbara Lee, Katie Porter, and Adam Schiff.
Biden expected to condemn Hamas attacks and reiterate Israel support
Joe Biden is due to make remarks from the White House at the top of the hour and it’s expected that the US president will slam Hamas and reiterate unswerving US support for Israel.
We’ll expect to have a live feed of his speech in this blog and will report highlights of his remarks. For all the wider developments in the conflict in Israel, we have our global blog on the situation running here, with our Léonie Chao-Fong at the helm at the moment as part of our worldwide team.
From the White House, Biden will express concern about the potential that some Americans are being held hostage by Hamas, an Iranian-backed Islamist group, a senior White House official said, and Reuters reports.
Israel pounded the Gaza Strip on Tuesday with the fiercest air strikes in its 75-year-old conflict with the Palestinians, razing whole districts to dust despite a threat from Hamas militants to execute a captive for each home hit.
Biden will speak after holding his third phone call in four days with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He will outline in his remarks the US military assistance being sent to help Israel in its fight, the official said.
A second White House official said Biden will strongly condemn Hamas* attacks and provide an overview of the actions the United States is taking with allies around the world to support Israel.
Updated
Special counsel for the federal January 6 case has also requested that Trump be restricted from doing juror research and publishing the identities of jurors, the Guardian’s Hugo Lowell reports.
The request is, in part, because of Trump’s previous use of social media to “attack others”, argued the special counsel.
NEW: Special Counsel asks for Trump to face restrictions in conducting juror research before his federal Jan. 6 trial next year and publicizing their identities — citing Trump’s “record of using social media to attack others” https://t.co/3AGs1kCoXb pic.twitter.com/DWRA6b76oY
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) October 10, 2023
The special counsel in the federal January 6 case has filed a request asking that Donald Trump be required to say if he will advance an “advice of counsel” defense, the Guardian’s Hugo Lowell reports.
NEW: Special Counsel asks for Trump to be forced to say if he will rely on Advice of Counsel defense in federal Jan. 6 case: “When a defendant invokes such a defense in court, he waives attorney-client
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) October 10, 2023
privilege for all comms concerning that defense” https://t.co/5A6vNaP9zi pic.twitter.com/kmnMC9DCf8
More from Hugo Lowell:
Special Counsel asks Judge Chutkan to invoke her inherent authority and have Trump commit by Dec. 18 – when both sides are due to exchange the exhibits they intend to use at trial – to the advice of counsel defense. If he does, SCO is entitled to more discovery from Trump.
Special Counsel asks Judge Chutkan to invoke her inherent authority and have Trump commit by Dec. 18 — when both sides are due to exchange the exhibits they intend to use at trial — to the advice of counsel defense. If he does, SCO is entitled to more discovery from Trump.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) October 10, 2023
Updated
McCarthy allies plan to nominate him during upcoming election - report
House Republicans supporting McCarthy plan to nominate the former House speaker for the position during the upcoming election, Politico reported.
Those in favor of McCarthy plan on voting for him as long as possible, with anywhere between 60 to 80 Republican votes going to McCarthy’s candidacy if he is nominated.
The goal is to install McCarthy as House speaker once again, while also denying Jordan and Scalise votes.
More from Politico’s Meredith Lee Hill:
News: McCarthy supporters currently plan to nominate him at top of speaker elex + vote for him as long as possible, to deny Scalise + Jordan enough votes for some time.
— Meredith Lee Hill (@meredithllee) October 10, 2023
Rs involved expect 60 to 80 Rs at this pt to vote for McCarthy initially, if he’s nominated as planned
1/6
Updated
Republican Kari Lake is expected to launch a campaign for the US Senate Tuesday night, though Lake has still not conceded that she lost Arizona’s gubernatorial race last year.
Here’s more context on Lake’s announcement from the Guardian’s Martin Pengelly.
The far-right Trump supporter Kari Lake still refuses to accept her defeat in the 2022 race for Arizona governor but will nonetheless run for US Senate next year.
“We need to get a senator in there who is going to fight back and put America first,” the Republican told the Wall Street Journal.
A campaign announcement is expected on 10 October, NBC News reported.
Lake’s declaration sets up a three-way battle for a seat that could decide control of the Senate, currently held by Democrats 51-49.
The incumbent, Kyrsten Sinema, is a former Democrat who now sits as an independent. The most likely Democratic challenger is Ruben Gallego, a congressman and member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Lake lost last year’s Arizona gubernatorial race to the Democrat Katie Hobbs, but refused to concede defeat, claiming electoral fraud. She told the Journal she would continue to fight that quixotic battle, saying: “I’m a mom, I can multi-task.”
Read the full article here.
Updated
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have endorsed Biden for reelection, ABC News first reported.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and Equality PAC have each endorsed the reelection of Biden and Vice president Kamala Harris. It is the first time such groups, the leading LGBTQ+ rights groups in the country, have done so.
The endorsements come ahead of National Coming Out Day on Wednesday.
“Without question, the Biden Administration has been the strongest advocate for the needs of transgender Americans of any presidential administration in American history,” Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, the executive director of the NCTE Action Fund, the political arm of the (NCTE), said in a statement, ABC reported.
The groups’ announcement comes as more 2024 Republican presidential candidates are advocating for anti-LGBTQ+ laws as apart of their platforms.
Republican lawmakers have also passed a number of anti-LGBTQ+ laws, specifically targeting transgender rights.
Biden is expected to make remarks on the Israel-Hamas war today at 1.00 pm ET.
Here is a post Biden made to X, formerly known as Twitter, ahead of today’s remarks.
This is not some distant tragedy – the ties between Israel and the United States run deep.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 10, 2023
It is personal for so many American families who are feeling the pain of this attack as well as the scars inflicted through millennia of antisemitism and persecution of Jewish people.
In…
Santos could face additional legal trouble after an ex-aide of his pleaded guilty to a fraud conspiracy charge that connects the New York congressman to a scheme to embellish his campaign finances.
Last week, Nancy Marks, who worked as a treasurer for Santos, admitted that herself and Santos faked campaign finance records to reflect that Santos loaned his campaign $500,000.
The bogus loan was in an attempt to attract other donors.
Though Santos did later donate $615,000 to his campaign, legal experts have noted that Santos could face legal trouble for fabricating financial records.
Read more on the fabricated loan here.
Santos to be challenged by his seat's predecessor
Former US representative Tom Suozzi of New York announced on Tuesday that he will be running for his former Long Island seat now being held by disgraced lawmaker George Santos.
Suozzi posted an announcement of his candidacy on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Today I am filing a committee to run for Congress in November 2024,” Suozzi said, in a statement.
“The madness in Washington, D.C., and the absurdity of George Santos remaining in the United States Congress is obvious to everyone,” Suozzi added, referring to Santos by name.
Suozzi’s run comes as many believe that Santos will be forced to leave office due to mounting legal issues.
Santos could face legal fallout for a fraudulent $500,000 campaign loan that the congressman lied about, the New York Times reported.
— Tom Suozzi (@Tom_Suozzi) October 10, 2023
Updated
Republicans under pressure to elect new leader amid Hamas-Israel conflict
As McCarthy signals his willingness to return to his former position as House Speaker, Republicans are facing pressure to elect a new leader, Politico reported.
The House speaker race comes as the US prepares a response following fighting between Hamas and Israel.
Congressional leaders also face a looming government shut down next month, after only managing to pass a temporary stopgap budget last week.
Republicans held a vent session on Monday, with many expressing anger towards the eight members who voted to oust McCarthy.
“Some people were mad and they got a right to be mad. But I got a right to represent my constituents, too,” said Tennessee representative Tim Burchett to Politico. Burchett was among the eight House republicans who voted to remove McCarthy.
Other Republican representatives have confirmed the lack of agreement on how to move forward since McCarthy’s removal.
“We’re kind of like a scattergram — we’re all over the map,” said Arkansas representative Steve Womack to Politico.
Notably, neither candidate for House speaker spoke during Monday’s meeting.
Updated
Kevin McCarthy not ruling out return to House speaker position
Kevin McCarthy has not ruled out a return to his former position of House speaker.
On Monday, McCarthy signaled that he would be willing to resume his position. McCarthy held a press conference with reporters to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict, but also noted that he could possibly make a comeback.
When asked if he would assume the speaker position if House Republicans failed to elect someone, McCarthy said: “I’m gonna allow the conference to do their work.”
Last week, eight Republicans sided with House Democrats to remove him from the leadership position. But since his ousting, House Republicans have failed to rally around a candidate.
Only two candidates have emerged in the House Speaker race: House majority leader Steve Scalise, a representative of Louisiana, and judiciary chairman Jim Jordan, a representative of Ohio.
Also on Monday, House Republicans held an extensive meeting to vent about the party leadership, Politico reported.
But after the two-hour vent session (which some members called “therapy” to Politico), Republicans were no closer to electing a candidate.
“There’s definitely frustration toward those eight people,” Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene to Politico after the meeting. “There were quite a few people who said they’re not ready to move forward.”
Here what else is happening today:
Joe Biden is expected to deliver remarks on the fighting in Israel this afternoon.
