Joe Biden says Putin and Hamas both want to ‘annihilate’ neighbouring democracies in address from Oval Office
Joe Biden said Hamas and Vladimir Putin both want to “annihilate” neighbouring democracies during a rare speech from the Oval Office.
The president addressed the nation after his whirlwind trip to the Middle East.
“If international aggression is allowed to continue, conflict and chaos could spread in other parts of the world,” he said.
“Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common. They both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy.”
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He added that making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital to America’s national security and he would be making an urgent budget request for billions of dollars to Congress on Friday.
The proposal includes money for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, humanitarian aid and border management.
Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
“It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations,” he said.
This is only the second time Mr Biden has given such an address, the first time was to celebrate the passing of the debt-ceiling bill in June.
He will be hoping that combining all these issues into one piece of legislation will create the necessary political support for congressional approval.
His speech comes the day after his high-stakes trip to Israel, where he showed solidarity with the country in its battle against Hamas and pushed for more humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Israel is poised to launch a ground offensive to root out Hamas from Gaza, just days after a deadly blast at a Gaza hospital.
Mr Biden said Israel was not responsible for the blast, as Hamas officials had claimed, but said: “We can’t ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians who only want to live in peace and have opportunity.”
He went on to make the case for US involvement to ordinary Americans, saying some are asking, “Why does it matter to America” that the US support the wars?
“I know these conflicts can seem far away,” he said.
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But he went on to say America’s adversaries are watching how both conflicts play out and could stir up trouble elsewhere in the world depending on the outcome.
Ahead of his address, Mr Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stress that the US remained committed to backing Kyiv, the White House said.
A senior White House official said the president continued to develop his remarks on Thursday after working with close aides throughout the week, including on his flight home from Israel.
Donald Trump has waded into the debate surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s jeans ad.
The American Eagle ad, which features the 27-year-old actress, who starred in the HBO series Euphoria and White Lotus, has the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”.
It has sparked a debate in the US over race and Western beauty standards.
One of the Sydney Sweeney jeans ads. Pic: AP
In a Truth Social post, the US president described it as the “hottest ad out there”.
Hailing Sweeney as a “registered Republican”, he said the jeans are “flying off the shelves”, adding: “Go get ’em Sydney!”
Most of the criticism of the ad has centred on videos using the word “genes” instead of “jeans”, with one in which Sweeney says: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
Critics argued the play on words potentially promotes eugenics, a discredited theory that believed humanity could be improved through the selective breeding of certain traits.
But others have defended the ad, saying the critics are reading too much into its message.
The video appeared on American Eagle’s Facebook page and other social media channels, but is not part of the ad campaign.
In a statement on Instagram on Friday, American Eagle Outfitters said the campaign “is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Stocks in American Eagle Outfitters jumped by 23.3% after Mr Trump’s intervention.
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In his Truth Social post, which he reposted three times to fix various typos, Mr Trump compared the ad with “woke” ones “on the other side of the ledger” – as he criticised other companies, as well as hitting out at Taylor Swift.
“The tide has seriously turned – Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be,” he wrote.
Sky News has contacted Sweeney’s agent for comment.
Police in Tennessee have discovered 14 improvised explosive devices in a man’s home as they were arresting him, the local sheriff’s office said.
Officers were executing a warrant in the home of Kevin Wade O’Neal in Old Fort, about 45 miles (70km) east of Chattanooga, after he had threatened to kill public officials and law enforcement personnel in Polk County.
After arresting the 54-year-old, officers noticed “something smouldering” in the bedroom where he was found.
Kevin Wade O’Neal. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
On closer inspection, they discovered an improvised explosive device and evacuated the house until bomb squad officers arrived at the scene.
Fourteen devices were found inside the property – none of which detonated.
Improvised explosive devices were found in Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home in Old Fort, Tennessee. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
O’Neal was charged with 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder, corresponding to nine officers and two other people inside the property when the suspect tried to detonate the devices.
He also faces 14 counts of prohibited weapons and one count of possession of explosive components.
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O’Neal is being held at the Polk County jail and his bond is yet to be determined.
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