Politics

(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration opted to pause a shipment of some 3,500 bombs to Israel last week because of concerns the weapons could be used in Rafah where more than one million civilians are sheltering “with nowhere else to go,” a senior administration official tells ABC News.

Other weapon transfers from the U.S. to Israel — including the sale of Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM kits — are being closely scrutinized as part of a larger review of U.S. military aid to Israel that began last April, the official said.

The decision to pause the shipment and consider slow-walking others is a major shift in policy for the Biden administration and the first known case of the U.S. denying its close ally military aid since the Israel-Hamas war began.

The Biden administration has been reluctant in the past to withhold weapons from Israel despite policy differences because such contracts are typically years in the making, and withholding aid is unlikely to influence Israeli policy decisions in the near term. At the same time, U.S. officials worried that delaying future weapons shipments could put Israel’s defense — a strategic priority for the U.S. — at risk.

According to the senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss a sensitive policy decision that hadn’t been publicly announced, the move came because U.S.-Israeli talks on the humanitarian needs in Rafah “have not fully addressed our concerns.”

“As Israeli leaders seemed to approach a decision point on such an operation, we began to carefully review proposed transfers of particular weapons to Israel that might be used in Rafah,” the official said in a written statement provided to ABC News.

More than half of the shipment that was paused last week consisted of 2,000-pound bombs. The remaining 1,700 bombs were 500-pound explosives, the official said.

“We are especially focused on the end-use of the 2,000-lb bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings as we have seen in other parts of Gaza,” the official told ABC News. “We have not made a final determination on how to proceed with this shipment.”

Other cases that remain under review include JDAM kits, which enable precision targeting of bombs.

Several other U.S. officials confirmed the policy decision earlier on Tuesday, the same day Israel began what its officials called a “precise” operation in Rafah. U.S. officials said they did not believe those operations were the beginning of the larger-scale invasion that Israel has been planning for weeks; that timeline remains uncertain, they say.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said operations in Rafah are inevitable and necessary to eliminate Hamas.

The White House declined to discuss specifics at a press briefing, instead pointing to the overall U.S. support for Israel.

“Our commitment to Israel’s security remains ironclad,” said White House spokesman John Kirby. “We don’t, as a matter of course, talk about individual shipments one way or the other. But again, nothing’s changed about our commitment to Israel security.”

Biden has faced criticism from some Democrats and other voters who say he’s not doing enough to stop the mounting death toll of civilians in Gaza. At the same time, support for Israel’s operations in Gaza remains strong among Republicans.

On Tuesday, top GOP lawmakers were quick to criticize the delay in arms shipments to Israel that were already approved by Congress.

“This is not the will of Congress,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson. “This is an underhanded attempt to withhold aid, without facing accountability. It’s undermining what Congress intended.”

In a letter to Biden, Republican Sens. Jodi Ernst and Ted Budd said they were “shocked” and “deeply concerned” about reports that the Biden administration failed to notify Congress before withholding ammunition to Israel.

“If these reports are true, then you have once again broken your promise to an American ally,” they said.

According to the senior administration official, all of the shipments under review come from previously appropriated funds and are not sourced from the latest aid bill passed by Congress.

“We are committed to ensuring Israel gets every dollar appropriated in the supplemental,” the official said, noting another $827 million in new future weapons and equipment for Israel has been approved through Foreign Military Financing.

Axios first reported on Sunday that a shipment of ammunition from the U.S. to Israel had been held up.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to testify Wednesday before a Senate panel, where he will likely be asked about U.S. policy.

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(WASHINGTON) — The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case has now indefinitely postponed the trial date pending resolution of outstanding pretrial litigation, including disagreements about how the classified information is used during trial.

It comes as Judge Aileen Cannon has continued to delay various deadlines in the case, making it all but certain the case doesn’t go to trial before Election Day.

“The Court also determines that finalization of a trial date at this juncture — before resolution of the myriad and interconnected pre-trial and CIPA issues remaining and forthcoming — would be imprudent and inconsistent with the Court’s duty to fully and fairly consider the various pending pre-trial motions before the Court, critical CIPA issues, and additional pretrial and trial preparations necessary to present this case to a jury,” Cannon wrote in the new order.

“The Court therefore vacates the current May 20, 2024, trial date (and associated calendar call), to be reset by separate order following resolution of the matters before the Court, consistent with Defendants’ right to due process and the public’s interest in the fair and efficient administration of justice,” Cannon wrote.

Cannon has set two hearings for May 22 on two motions to dismiss.

Special counsel Jack Smith declined to comment on the delay.

Trump pleaded not guilty last June to a 37-count indictment related to his handling of classified materials. Prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information ranging from U.S. nuclear secrets to the nation’s defense capabilities, and took steps to thwart the government’s efforts to get the documents back.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Biden administration is delaying shipments of ammunition expected to be sent to Israel, three U.S. officials told ABC News on Tuesday in what appears to be the first time since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks that the U.S. has withheld weapons from its ally.

According to one U.S. official, the U.S. Air Force has been told by the White House National Security Council to pause shipments of ammunition that were already approved and under contract, waiting to be shipped from Dover Air Force Base.

A second U.S. official confirmed to ABC News that the NSC was behind the decision to pause the munitions. U.S. officials said the delay has affected more than one delivery and is being done intentionally.

The NSC has not confirmed the decision or said why the shipments were put on hold.

“Our commitment to Israel’s security remains ironclad,” said White House spokesman John Kirby. “We don’t as a matter of course talk about individual shipments one way or the other. But again, nothing’s changed about our commitment to Israel security.”

The move comes as the Biden administration has tried to increase pressure on Israel not to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza without a plan to protect the million civilians seeking refuge there. On Tuesday, Israel began what its officials called a “precise” operation in Rafah.

While Biden has faced demands from some Democrats that he put conditions on further arms transfers to Israel, Republicans were quick to criticize the move.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday said he received a report from on the ground in Israel that said “a shipload of munitions and precision weapons, which are to be used to help protect civilians and Rafah, is being withheld.”

In a letter to Biden, Republican Sens. Jodi Ernst and Ted Budd said they were “shocked” and “deeply concerned” that the Biden administration failed to notify Congress before withholding ammunition to Israel.

“If these reports are true, then you have once again broken your promise to an American ally,” they said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said operations in Rafah are inevitable and necessary to eliminate Hamas.

Axios first reported on Sunday that a shipment of ammunition from the U.S. to Israel had been held up.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to testify Wednesday before a Senate panel, where he will likely be asked about U.S. policy.

ABC News’ Lauren Peller and Molly Nagle contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared on Tuesday to be backing off her threat to force a vote to oust Speaker Mike Johnson this week, though she signaled that she’ll preserve her threat indefinitely — keeping Johnson on a tight leash as he navigates a one-vote majority in the chamber.

The development comes after Greene and Johnson met on Tuesday afternoon — their second meeting in as many days. The meetings came after Greene said she would force a vote to remove Johnson from the leadership post this week.

“I will tell you one thing I did say in there: I am so done with words,” Greene told reporters on the House steps Tuesday afternoon after the meeting with Johnson. “For me, it is all about actions. And that is all the American people care about.”

Ahead of the meeting with Johnson on Tuesday, Greene shared her list of demands for the speaker. Her four requests included a return to the “Hastert Rule,” which means no legislation is brought to a vote without the support of the majority of the majority party; no more funding for Ukraine; defund the special counsel’s probe into former President Donald Trump; and avoid a government shutdown before the election by passing a continuing resolution to automatically enact a 1% spending cut.

Greene said she is not imposing a deadline for Johnson to comply with her four “suggestions.”

“These are not complicated things that we’re talking about, and having the majority of Republicans support for bills that are brought to the floor. Yeah, that’s very reasonable,” Greene said. “It’s really simple. It’s up to Mike Johnson to be our Republican speaker. And we’ll see what he does. And again, it’s actions for me.”

Greene said she did not provide the speaker with a specific timeline on the demands, but said “it’s pretty short.”

​​”That’s up to Mike Johnson and it can’t drag out,” she said. “These are things that have to be done.”

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, Greene’s chief ally in the quest to oust Johnson, said the speaker has been open to the four demands, “but the question is what is he going to do to show that he is moving in that direction.”

At the weekly GOP news conference on Tuesday, Johnson didn’t rule out Greene’s request to defund the special counsel’s probe into Trump.

“We’re looking very intently at it because I think the problem has reached a crescendo,” Johnson said.

Johnson has already passed government funding, aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and even a federal surveillance extension — meaning that the House is mostly void of must-pass legislation. That gives Johnson the space to advance other Republican-led efforts as the next appropriations battle nears.

Greene has criticized Johnson for working with Democrats on several of those pieces of legislation. Johnson has fought back, saying he’s a lifelong Republican, but must do his job to serve the entire House with an extremely thin Republican majority.

The Georgia congresswoman said last week she was moving ahead with her ouster effort despite pushback from many Republicans and a statement from Democrats that they would step in to help save Johnson. Trump has also weighed in on Greene’s move to oust Johnson.

Trump spoke privately to Greene over the weekend and urged her to drop her push to oust Johnson, a source close to the president confirmed to ABC News. During their discussion, Trump told Greene that the party needs to be unified, according to the source.

The former president’s team has mulled over how best to show support for Johnson. Trump brought Johnson on stage at the RNC spring retreat luncheon over the weekend and praised him “for his leadership and work in the US House,” emphasizing “the need for party unity, collaboration, and expanding the GOP’s House Majority,” according to the campaign.

ABC News’ Arthur Jones II and Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance filed a lawsuit against the federal government Tuesday over what it called an “unconstitutional” potential ban of the social media platform in the United States.

In the lawsuit, TikTok and ByteDance claim the law signed by President Joe Biden last month — which would force the company to sell the platform to a non-Chinese company in nine to 12 months or face a ban in the U.S. — violates users’ First Amendment rights.

“For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide,” the company said in its 65-page petition filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which was part of a massive, $95 billion foreign aid package passed by Congress, on April 24.

The White House did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.

The president and some congressional leaders have argued that the ultimatum against TikTok was necessary because of security concerns about ByteDance and its connections to the Chinese government.

ByteDance refuted those allegations in its lawsuit, arguing there has been no tangible evidence that the app poses any security risk.

“Congress itself has offered nothing to suggest that the TikTok platform poses the types of risks to data security or the spread of foreign propaganda that could conceivably justify the act,” it said in the lawsuit.

In previous statements, as the bill made its way through Congress, TikTok slammed the renewed efforts behind divestment, saying at the time: “It is unfortunate that the House of Representatives is using the cover of important foreign and humanitarian assistance to once again jam through a ban bill that would trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion to the U.S. economy, annually.”

The lawsuit also alleges that the window to sell the company is not possible “commercially, technologically or legally.”

ByteDance is seeking for the court to make a judgment that the act violates the Constitution and enjoin Attorney General Merrick Garland from enforcing it, according to court documents.

Some social media influencers, business owners and other TikTok supporters criticized a ban on the app in the U.S., claiming they would lose a major platform for their businesses.

An ABC News/Ipsos poll released Tuesday, however, showed that the majority of Americans are in favor of the ban.

About 53% of Americans support a ban on TikTok if it’s not sold to a non-Chinese company, while 44% are opposed to the ban, according to the poll.

Roughly 51% of Americans say the U.S. government should try to force a sale of TikTok while 46% say it should not, the poll found.

ByteDance filed a lawsuit against Montana in May 2023 when it issued a similar ban, arguing it violated First Amendment rights. In November, a federal judge ruled in favor of TikTok and blocked the law before it took effect.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden denounced what he called a “ferocious surge” of antisemitism in America and the atrocities committed by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel in a speech at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.

His keynote remarks were part of a U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum ceremony marking the Days of Remembrance to honor the memory of the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust as well as other victims of Nazi persecution.

“Never again simply translated for me means never forget,” Biden said before a crowd of Holocaust survivors, Jewish Americans and lawmakers gathered in Emancipation Hall.

“Here we are not 75 years later but just seven and a half months later, and people are already forgetting,” Biden said. “They’re already forgetting that Hamas unleashed this terror. It was Hamas who brutalized Israelis. It was Hamas who took and continues to hold hostages. I have not forgotten, nor have you. And we will not forget.”

The high-profile remarks came at a fraught political moment, as a possible Israeli invasion of Rafah looms and college protests against the war in Gaza are unfolding across the U.S.

Biden has faced criticism from Republicans and Democrats as he’s tried to balance unwavering support for Israel’s security with sympathy for the Palestinians killed and suffering in Gaza.

But his message Tuesday largely focused on his staunch support for Israel and condemnation of the atrocities against Jews witnessed on Oct. 7 as well as the harassment of the community in the months since — including incidents on college campuses, propaganda on social media and more.

“To the Jewish community I want you to know I see your fear, your hurt, your pain. Let me reassure you as your president, you’re not alone,” Biden said. “My commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad even when we disagree.”

At least 1,700 Israelis have been killed and 8,700 others injured by Hamas or other Palestinian militants, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since Oct. 7, Israeli military operations have killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza and injured more than 78,000 others, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.

Biden did not directly comment on Gaza or the humanitarian crisis unfolding for Palestinians in his speech. On campus protests, Biden again emphasized the right to free speech but spoke out against instances were Jewish students have been “blocked, harassed or attacked while walking to class.”

“I understand people have strong belief and deep convictions about the world,” he said. “In America, we respect and protect the fundamental right to free speech, to debate and disagree, to protest peacefully and make our voices heard.”

“But there is no place on any campus in America [or] any place in America for antisemitism or hate speech or threats of violence of any kind whether against Jews or anyone else,” Biden continued.

Tuesday’s remembrance ceremony also featured remarks by House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Biden’s faced heavy criticism from Republicans over the campus unrest, with many conservative lawmakers blasting his response as insufficient. Overall, GOP lawmakers have seized on the protests to further their narrative of “chaos” under the Biden administration and to show their strong support for Israel.

Johnson used his remarks to continue criticism of the campus unrest, going so far as to compare them to antisemitic activity at German institutions of higher learning during World War II.

“We remember what happened then and now today we are witnessing American universities quickly becoming hostile places for Jewish students and faculty,” he said. “The very campuses which were once the envy of the international academy have succumbed to an antisemitic virus.”

“Now is a time for moral clarity and we must put an end to this madness,” Johnson said.

Jeffries said antisemitism and other forms of hate speech was not a “Democratic issue or Republican issue” but “an American issue.”

“We must crush antisemitism along with racism, sexism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, homophobia and all other forms of hatred together,” Jeffries said.

The White House on Tuesday also announced new actions intended to combat the rise in antisemitism, including on college campuses.

They include directing the Department of Education to issue new guidance to school districts and universities providing examples of antisemitism and other forms of hate that trigger Title VI investigations; the creation of a website by the Department of Homeland Security and partners that includes campus safety resources; and working with technology firms to address antisemitic content online.

“We’ve seen a ferocious surge of antisemitism in America and around the world,” Biden said in his speech, adding it is “absolutely despicable and it must stop.”

ABC News Molly Nagle contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Ahead of her meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene shared her list of demands for the speaker amid her push to oust him from the House’s top job.

Greene’s four requests — which she said were “simple and easy for Mike Johnson to follow” in a post on X — include a return to the “Hastert Rule,” which means no legislation is brought to a vote without the support of the majority of the majority party; no more funding for Ukraine; defund the special counsel’s probe into former President Donald Trump; and avoid a government shutdown before the election by passing a continuing resolution to automatically enact a 1% spending cut.

“It would be a huge win for our Republican majority, and most importantly a huge win for the people who gave it to us,” the Georgia Republican wrote on X of the demands.

Johnson and Green are set to meet for a second time on Tuesday afternoon after Johnson said he had a “a lengthy, constructive meeting” with both Greene and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie on Monday. The meeting, which lasted nearly two hours, came as Greene has said she will force a vote to remove Johnson from the leadership post this week.

Johnson said his series of meetings with Greene and Massie are “not a negotiation.”

“It’s not a negotiation at all. What we’re trying to do and what my job is, is to every day improve processes, procedures, our policy preferences, or legislation and make sure that we can build the right consensus to get everybody together,” Johnson said at the weekly GOP news conference on Tuesday.

Asked if he would defund the special counsel’s probe into Trump, as Greene requested, Johnson did not rule it out.

“We’re looking very intently at it because I think the problem has reached a crescendo,” Johnson said.

For the first time publicly, Johnson said he intends to remain the leader of the House Republican Conference in the future.

“I intend to lead this conference in the future, and the most important thing we have to do right now is govern the country well, show the American people that we are — and that’s what we have been doing,” Johnson said.

Asked by ABC News on Monday if she plans to move forward with a motion to vacate, Greene said she will “have more information” after the meeting on Tuesday.

The Georgia congresswoman said last week she was moving ahead with her ouster effort despite pushback from many Republicans and a statement from Democrats that they would step in to help save Johnson. Trump has also weighed in on Greene’s move to oust Johnson.

Trump spoke privately to Greene over the weekend and urged her to drop her push to oust Johnson, a source close to the president confirmed to ABC News. During their discussion, Trump told Greene that the party needs to be unified, according to the source.

The former president’s team has mulled over how best to show support for Johnson. Trump brought Johnson on stage at the RNC spring retreat luncheon over the weekend and praised him “for his leadership and work in the US House,” emphasizing “the need for party unity, collaboration, and expanding the GOP’s House Majority,” according to the campaign.

Greene has criticized Johnson for working with Democrats on several key pieces of legislation — including keeping the government open and providing foreign aid. Johnson has fought back, saying he’s a lifelong Republican, but must do his job to serve the entire House with an extremely thin Republican majority.

“I would really like to advance much more of our conservative policy on a daily basis here. But the reality is we are working with the smallest majority in U.S. history with a one-vote margin,” Johnson said.

ABC News’ Arthur Jones II and Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — Former President Donald Trump spoke privately with Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene over the weekend and urged her to drop her push to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, a source close to the president confirmed to ABC News.

During their discussion, Trump told Greene that the party needs to be unified, according to the source.

The former president’s team has mulled over how best to show support for Johnson. Trump brought Johnson on stage at the RNC spring retreat luncheon over the weekend and praised him “for his leadership and work in the US House,” emphasizing “the need for party unity, collaboration, and expanding the GOP’s House Majority,” according to the campaign.

Johnson and Greene are set to meet again Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. after Johnson said he had a “a lengthy, constructive meeting” with both Greene and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie on Monday. The meeting, which lasted nearly two hours, came as Greene has said she will force a vote to remove Johnson from the leadership post this week.

“We are going to keep this team together and work for the American people,” Johnson said on Monday.

Asked by ABC News if she plans to move forward with a motion to vacate, Greene said she will “have more information” after the meeting on Tuesday.

The Georgia congresswoman said last week she was moving ahead with her ouster effort despite pushback from many Republicans and a statement from Democrats that they would step in to help save Johnson.

Greene has criticized Johnson for working with Democrats on several key pieces of legislation — including keeping the government open and providing foreign aid. Johnson has fought back, saying he’s a lifelong Republican, but must do his job to serve the entire House with an extremely thin Republican majority.

“I would really like to advance much more of our conservative policy on a daily basis here. But the reality is we are working with the smallest majority in U.S. history with a one-vote margin,” Johnson said.

ABC News’ Lauren Peller, John Parkinson and Arthur Jones II contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie met privately on Monday, amid Greene’s looming threat to try to oust him.

Emerging from a nearly two-hour meeting inside the speaker’s office, Greene said on camera they will have another meeting with Johnson on Tuesday morning.

“I just want to thank you all for waiting — we just had a very long discussion with the speaker. We are going to be meeting again tomorrow based on the discussion that we’ve had. And so, we really don’t have any news to report at this time,” Greene said.

When pressed by ABC’s Rachel Scott if Greene still plans to move forward with a motion to vacate, the congresswoman said: “Again, we had a very long discussion with Speaker Johnson. We will be meeting with him again tomorrow based on the discussion that we had and then I’ll have more information for you.”

Asked again if she plans to force a vote on a motion to vacate, Greene said: “I have been patient. I have been diligent. I have been steady. And I have been focused on the facts. And none of that has changed.”

Greene said the meeting Monday afternoon was about “ways to move forward for a Republican-controlled House of Representatives.”

Johnson said he had “a lengthy, constructive meeting” with Greene and Massie this afternoon.

“We have discussed some ideas, and we are going to meet again tomorrow,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he told Greene and Massie he understands their frustration, saying, “I would really like to advance much more of our conservative policy on a daily basis here. But the reality is we are working with the smallest majority in U.S. history with a one-vote margin.”

“We are going to keep this team together and work for the American people,” Johnson added.

The meeting comes as Greene has said she will force a vote to remove Johnson from the leadership post this week.

The timing of when Greene plans to trigger the motion to vacate, however, remains unclear. The House will hold votes later Monday evening, after which Greene could act on the motion, though she’s made no announcements.

The Georgia congresswoman said last week she was moving ahead with her ouster effort despite pushback from many Republicans and a statement from Democrats that they would step in to help save Johnson.

“Mike Johnson is not capable of that job,” Greene said in a fiery press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on May 1 alongside her co-sponsor Massie of Kentucky. “He has proven that over and over again.”

Greene and Massie continued their criticisms of Johnson publicly on social media on Monday.

“This week we vote on whether Mike Johnson should remain as Speaker,” Massie said in a statement on X. “If you’re happy with what he’s done this year and if you’re looking forward to what he will do the remainder of the year, you should join the Democrat leader Hakeem Jeffries in supporting Mike Johnson.”

Greene has dangled the motion to vacate the speaker’s chair for more than a month. Johnson’s defended himself from her criticism — namely that he’s worked with Democrats to keep the government open, provide foreign aid and more — by emphasizing that he’s a lifelong Republican, but must do his job to serve the entire House with an extremely thin Republican majority.

“This motion is wrong for the Republican Conference, wrong for the institution, and wrong for the country,” Johnson said last week of the ouster threat.

Johnson also received a boost over the weekend from former President Donald Trump, who brought Johnson on stage at the Republican Nation Committee’s spring retreat luncheon at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump praised Johnson “for his leadership and work in the US House,” emphasizing “the need for party unity, collaboration, and expanding the GOP’s House Majority,” according to Trump’s campaign.

Last week, Greene denied she was defying Trump in pushing ahead against Johnson.

“I’m the biggest supporter of President Trump and that’s why I fight every single day. And that’s why I’m fighting here against my own Republican conference to fight harder against the Democrats,” she told ABC News Correspondent Elizabeth Schulze.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden will deliver a major speech denouncing antisemitism on Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol.

The remarks are part of a U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum ceremony marking the Days of Remembrance to honor the memory of the six million Jews killed during the Holocaust as well as other victims of Nazi persecution.

“He will speak to the horrors of Oct. 7 when Hamas unleashed the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday. “And he will speak to how since Oct. 7, we’ve seen an alarming rise in antisemitism in the U.S. in our cities or communities and our campuses.”

Jean-Pierre also said Biden will highlight his administration’s national strategy to counter antisemitism and protect Jewish Americans.

Biden’s high-profile address comes at a fraught political moment, as a possible Israeli invasion of Rafah looms and college protests against the war in Gaza are unfolding across the U.S.

The president’s faced heavy criticism from Republicans over the campus unrest, with many conservative lawmakers blasting his response as insufficient. Overall, GOP lawmakers have seized on the protests to further their narrative of “chaos” under the Biden administration and to show their strong support for Israel.

The White House has pushed back on GOP assertions Biden hasn’t condemned antisemitism forcefully enough, arguing he’s done more on the issue than any other president.

Last week, Biden spoke out in an address from the White House against violent and antisemitic incidents at some colleges and universities, saying hate speech of any kind is “wrong” and “un-American.” He also used the remarks to emphasis the right to free speech and peaceful protest.

Meanwhile, he faces a divided Democratic caucus when it comes to the Israel-Hamas war. Biden’s tried to balance unwavering support for Israel’s security with sympathy for Palestinians killed and suffering in Gaza, though he’s faced protesters at various events who’ve called him “Genocide Joe.”

Since Oct. 7, Israeli military operations have killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza and injured more than 78,000 others, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. At least 1,700 Israelis have been killed and 8,700 others injured by Hamas or other Palestinian militants, according to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“We understand how painful this is for many, many communities,” Jean-Pierre said during Monday’s press briefing.

“The president understands how important this moment is,” she continued when asked about how he is preparing for Tuesday’s speech. “And I would say this is a president that tends to meet the moment when it comes to speeches and remarks like these. He understands what’s going on, has his fingers on the pulse in terms of what people are feeling.”

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