(NEW YORK) — Federal prosecutors on Long Island, New York filed new criminal charges against Rep. George Santos on Tuesday, accusing him of stealing people’s identities, making charges on his donors’ credit cards without their authorization and lying to federal election officials.
Specifically, in Tuesday’s 23-count superseding indictment, Santos has been charged with “two counts of wire fraud, two counts of making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), two counts of falsifying records submitted to obstruct the FEC, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of access device fraud,” the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York said in a release.
“As alleged, Santos is charged with stealing people’s identities and making charges on his own donors’ credit cards without their authorization, lying to the FEC and, by extension, the public about the financial state of his campaign. Santos falsely inflated the campaign’s reported receipts with non-existent loans and contributions that were either fabricated or stolen,” Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. “This Office will relentlessly pursue criminal charges against anyone who uses the electoral process as an opportunity to defraud the public and our government institutions.”
The charges follow the indictment last week of Santos’ former campaign finance chief Nancy Marks. Prosecutors allege they enlisted 10 family members without their knowledge to donate to the campaign to make it seem like Santos was getting enough support to qualify for party funds.
According to the charges, Santos allegedly said he lent his campaign $500,000 when he only had $8,000 on hand.
Rep. Santos’ lawyer declined to comment when reached by ABC News.
When asked by reporters on Capitol Hill if he would step down Tuesday night following the new charges, Santos said, “I will not.”
“I have no comment,” he added.
Santos was indicted on 13 criminal counts, including seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives, by federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York in May. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
(NEW YORK) — Former New York Rep. Tom Suozzi announced on Tuesday that he’s running to win back the seat he left earlier this year — which is now held by embattled Rep. George Santos.
In a statement, Suozzi, a Democrat, called out his Republican successor by name.
“The madness in Washington, DC and the absurdity of George Santos remaining in the United States Congress is obvious to everyone,” Suozzi said.
“You know me. I’ve never sat on the sidelines. From the cost-of-living to immigration, crime, climate change, combating terrorism in the Middle East and globally, and simply helping people, we need more common sense and compassion and less chaos and senseless fighting,” he said.
ABC News has reached out to Santos’ office and campaign for comment.
Santos, in announcing his own reelection bid earlier this year, said in part: “We need a fighter who knows the district and can serve the people fearlessly. … Good isn’t good enough, and I’m not shy about doing what it takes to get the job done.”
Santos faces legal troubles and backlash on multiple fronts. He has been charged by federal prosecutors with fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds and lying to Congress. He has pleaded not guilty.
Santos is also the subject of a House ethics investigation, including whether he broke any laws regarding his 2022 campaign, and has said both that he will comply “100%” with the probe and, more recently, “I have a right to defend myself and I’m doing that.”
While in office, he has been further mired in scandal after admitting to telling some lies about his background, such as falsely claiming he graduated from college, though he has said he was “embellishing.”
Suozzi joins a growing field of Democrats, including New York state Sen. Anna Kaplan and activist Zak Malamed, who are seeking to replace Santos in the 3rd Congressional District, which covers a swath of Long Island.
Suozzi first beat Santos in 2020, then retired from his seat to mount an unsuccessful bid for New York governor in 2022, losing in the Democratic primary to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Santos ran again for the 3rd District in 2022 and flipped it, defeating Democrat Robert Zimmerman by about 20,000 votes, similar to how other seats in New York state were won by Republicans that year.
Suozzi said in his statement on Tuesday that his “formal campaign kickoff” will be held after local elections in November.
(WASHINGTON) — Special counsel Jack Smith’s team is urging the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s federal election interference case to implement protections for potential jurors, citing the former president’s conduct on social media regarding people involved in his various legal battles.
Smith’s team specifically cites Trump’s post about the judge’s clerk in his ongoing $250 million civil fraud trial, which last week prompted the judge in the case to issue an oral order restricting all parties from speaking publicly about his court staff.
“There are other good reasons in this case for the Court to impose these restrictions and enforce this District’s standard prohibition against publicizing jurors’ identities,” Smith’s team said in Tuesday’s filing. “Chief among them is the defendant’s continued use of social media as a weapon of intimidation in court proceedings.”
“In addition to the record before the Court from the Government’s previous filings … just last week the defendant escalated his conduct and publicly attacked the trial judge’s law clerk in his pending civil fraud trial in New York State Supreme Court,” the filing said.
This request comes as Judge Tanya Chutkan is set to hear oral arguments on the government’s proposed limited gag order in the case on Monday.
Trump in August pleaded not guilty to charges of undertaking a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 election by enlisting a slate of so-called “fake electors,” using the Justice Department to conduct “sham election crime investigations,” trying to enlist the vice president to “alter the election results,” and promoting false claims of a stolen election as the Jan. 6 riot raged — all in an effort to subvert democracy and remain in power.
In a separate filing, the special counsel is asking Judge Chutkan to require Trump to formally notify the court of his intention to rely on advice of counsel as a defense, given that his lawyers have said publicly that’s part of their legal strategy.
The special counsel says that at least 25 witnesses in the case have withheld information, communications and documents “based on assertions of attorney-client privilege.”
If Trump were to formally invoke the advice-of-counsel defense in court, as has been done publicly by him and his attorneys, then attorney-client privilege would be waived and the special counsel would receive additional discovery.
The 25 witnesses, Smith’s team says, include alleged “co-conspirators, former campaign employees, the campaign itself, outside attorneys, a non-attorney intermediary, and even a family member of the defendant.”
(WASHINGTON) — Fourteen Americans have been killed in the fighting in Israel, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday, and he confirmed more are among those being held hostage by Hamas terrorists.
“We now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas,” Biden said. “I’ve directed my team to share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts. Because as president, I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans being held hostage around the world.”
Biden delivered remarks at the White House, which was lit up in blue and white on Monday evening in a show of support for Israel after Hamas launched a surprise air, sea and land incursion over the weekend.
Israel since declared a state of alert for war and has been sending retaliatory airstrikes to Gaza. The number of people killed on both sides is mounting.
“There are moments in this life, and I mean this literally, when pure, unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world,” Biden said as he spoke in the State Dining Room flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “The people of Israel lived through one such moment this weekend.”
“The bloody hands of the terrorist organization Hamas, a group who stated purpose for being is to kill Jews,” Biden continued. “This was an act of sheer evil. More than 1,000 civilians slaughtered, not just killed, slaughtered in Israel. Among them, at least 14 American citizens killed.”
ABC News has not confirmed that total number of civilians killed in Israel, though it was repeated by national security adviser Jake Sullivan at the daily White House briefing. Sullivan said the administration did not have the exact number of Americans being held hostage but said 20 or more are considered “missing.”
“We do not know about their condition, and we cannot confirm a precise number of American citizens,” Sullivan said.
“We will work hour by hour, both to determine whether we can account for any of those Americans, or to confirm exactly what the number of Americans are being held hostage and we will come back too with that information as soon as we have it,” Sullivan added.
Asked by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce if Biden had spoken to any of the families of the 14 Americans killed, Sullivan said “not yet” but that the State Department has been in contact with them.
Sullivan added that Biden has been making it a priority to “ensure that we can secure the bodies of those that have perished and ensure that they get returned to their loved ones.”
Ahead of his remarks, Biden and Harris met with their national security teams to get an update on the situation and give direction on “next steps.” They also spoke with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden, who shared a photo of the meeting on social media, said the discussion with Netanyahu focused on “coordination to support Israel, deter hostile actors, and protect innocent people.”
“We stand with Israel,” Biden made clear as he addressed the nation. “And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself and respond to this attack.”
Biden didn’t mince words as he described the violence unfolding, describing “Hamas’ bloodthirstiness” as reminiscent of ISIS rampages — including “stomach churning reports of babies being killed.”
White House national security spokesman John Kirby, during an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” earlier Tuesday, was asked if the U.S. would be willing to make a deal for any Americans who may be being held by Hamas. Kirby only said he “didn’t want to get too far ahead of where we are.”
“Clearly, the safety and security of Americans are a top priority for President Biden, we’ve seen that in the past,” Kirby said. “We’ll continue to work on this hard and if there are Americans that are being held hostage we’ll do everything possible to get them home to their families where they belong.”
The administration is boosting munitions to Israel, and the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier was sent toward Israel — a move a senior U.S. defense official said was intended to be a deterrent to Iran and Hezbollah.
Iran has denied involvement in the Hamas attacks on Israel, and the U.S. and Israel have also said they don’t have hard evidence linking Iran to the incursion.
Kirby on GMA was pressed about the threat of a second front opening up in the conflict if Hezbollah — also designated a terrorist group by the U.S. and other nations — were to engage.
“It remains unclear. Obviously, we are concerned about the possibility that now a northern front could be opened up if Hezbollah decides to get engaged,” Kirby said. “Now, there’s been some exchange of rocket fire, George, but no signs that they’re all in as it as it were. So, we’re watching this very, very closely.”
Biden didn’t address any specific nation or group, though he had a warning against “anyone thinking of taking advantage of this situation.”
“I have one word: don’t. Don’t. Our hearts may be broken, but our resolve is clear,” the president said.
(WASHINGTON) — With its barrage of coordinated attacks against Israel over the weekend, Hamas shocked much of the world on a variety of levels — the horrific images of violence against civilians, the lack of warning from intelligence communities, and the sheer scope and scale of the onslaught.
This last element of the assault, in particular, has some politicians and experts questioning whether Hamas could have acted alone — or if the militant group the U.S. designates as terrorists had help from its longtime benefactor and ally: Iran.
Despite that, U.S. officials were quick to push back on what it says are so far unsubstantiated claims that Tehran played a critical role in orchestrating the attack in its immediate aftermath. And on Monday, White House spokesperson John Kirby said although Iran bore “a degree of complicity,” the administration had yet to uncover “hard, tangible evidence” of its involvement.
Although Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi congratulated Hamas for what he called a “victory” over Israel, a spokesperson for the Iranian mission to the United Nations also denied allegations that Tehran played a hand in the Hamas offensive, claiming that the Israeli government is trying to justify its own apparent national security failure by blaming Iran.
While Israeli officials were initially bold and direct in leveling accusations against Iran, many on Monday took a more measured tone. In his address to his country on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not mention Iran, and in a televised interview, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog was careful to note that his government was not “one hundred percent sure” Iran provided operational support for the attacks.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a concrete Iranian role behind the scenes,” Herzog added.
Indeed, for some experts and U.S. officials who have tracked Hamas for years, the scenario that stretches credulity is that Hamas could have so drastically escalated its strategy and capabilities without significant assistance.
“The coordination of multiple penetrations of Israel’s barrier — the border fence that had been created — the ability to penetrate it in multiple places, possibly with the help of a cyberattack,” said Jonathan Schanzer, a former terrorism finance analyst for the Treasury Department and the senior vice president for research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. “All of this points to a sophistication that we’ve not seen by Hamas.”
Both Schanzer and Suzanne Maloney, an adviser on Iran policy for multiple administrations and the vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, see Iran as the only possible suspect.
“It is quite well known that the Iranian government is the primary backer, both financial and in terms of military equipment of Hamas and a number of other Palestinian militant groups,” said Maloney, adding that there is an “enormous amount of contact — frequent, regular and often public” between Tehran and the organizations.
“It’s impossible to imagine that an operation this ambitious, on a scope and scale of what we’ve seen over the course of the past few days didn’t have some foreknowledge and or complicity by the Iranian leadership,” she added.
Tehran’s next steps?
Israeli officials backtracking on blaming Iran might be an attempt to avoid jumping ahead of investigations into the Islamic regime’s role in the attacks. They could also be attempting to avoid encouraging Tehran to ramp up aid for Hamas as Israel prepares for what could be a lengthy fight across multiple fronts.
Iran already funnels roughly $100 million to Hamas each year, according to the Israeli government, and the State Department has previously acknowledged that Tehran has provided the group with training and military equipment.
Maloney says while it’s unlikely Iran would become directly involved in the fighting, it could ramp up its support for Hamas militants — potentially drawing out the conflict and sewing more unrest.
“The Iranians would seek to bolster Hamas as capabilities if they are significantly eroded,” she said.
“Depending on supply lines, it’s going to be a complicated route, but the Iranians have built in a lot of redundancy for Hamas,” Maloney continued. “There’s a real probability that Iran will remain part of the equation even if it’s not directly engaged in the conflict itself.”
Schanzer notes that Tehran also has significant sway over Hezbollah, a Lebanese terror group already trading fire with Israel on the opposite side of the country from Gaza.
“This could open up an entirely new front,” he said. “Hezbollah maintains an arsenal of roughly 150,000 to 180,000 rockets–all provided by Iran. That’s roughly ten times what Hamas has in its arsenal.”
Backlash against Biden administration
On Capitol Hill, Republicans were quick to slam the Biden administration for recently facilitating Tehran’s access to roughly $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue tied up by U.S. sanctions in exchange for the release of five American prisoners.
“Do we not realize that weakening America strengthens our enemies? Allowing Iran to produce more oil, appeasement, and paying ransoms for American hostages, has only made us weaker on the world stage,” former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Monday, calling on the White House to refreeze the billions released as part of the deal.
While administration officials have said repeatedly there are guardrails in place to ensure that Tehran can put the money only toward humanitarian causes and that so far the regime hasn’t been able to access any of it, both Schanzer and Maloney say President Joe Biden’s strategy toward Iran has contributed to instability in the Middle East.
“The administration’s approach to Iran has helped to condition Iranian aggression across the region because they believe that it pays off for them,” said Maloney.
Schanzer also argued that the administration’s narrow focus on reining in Iran’s nuclear program has created a blind spot, allowing Tehran’s other nefarious endeavors to flourish.
“The focus has been myopic on the nuclear front and by not explicitly addressing the terror support, this is the result that you get,” Schanzer said.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden has been interviewed by the independent prosecutor’s team investigating his handling of classified documents while out of office, the White House said Monday night.
“The voluntary interview was conducted at the White House over two days, Sunday and Monday, and concluded Monday,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement.
“As we have said from the beginning, the President and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation,” Sams said, referring further questions to the Department of Justice.
Special counsel Robert Hur oversaw and participated in the interview of President Biden, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Hur’s office declined comment.
Sources who spoke to ABC News said the interview likely signals the probe is close to coming to an end.
However, the timing of the investigation and writing of a report is not imminent, sources said. It could be wrapped up as soon as the end of the year, the sources said.
The interview was scheduled weeks ago, and occurred Sunday and Monday, the sources said.
ABC News reported late last month that, according to sources familiar with the matter, the federal investigation into Biden’s handling of sensitive government records had grown into a sprawling examination of Obama-era security protocols and internal White House processes, with investigators interviewing scores of witnesses.
Hur, the special counsel appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the Biden probe, has vowed to conduct a “fair, impartial, and dispassionate” investigation, following the facts “thoroughly” and “without fear or favor.”
Reports first emerged in January that classified documents had been found at a personal office used by Biden after his vice presidency.
A series of revelations precipitated Hur’s ascent to special counsel. In late 2022, the White House told the National Archives that documents bearing classification markings had been discovered at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. — the location of Biden’s private office after his term as vice president expired in early 2017.
Biden’s personal attorney later informed investigators that additional classified records were identified in the garage of Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, home — a development that marked a tipping point in the Justice Department’s decision to appoint a special counsel to investigate further, sources told ABC News in January.
In all, about 25 documents marked classified were found in locations associated with Biden.
Biden has sought to downplay his legal exposure. One week after Hur’s appointment, in response to reporters’ questions about why he did not reveal the documents before November’s midterm elections, Biden replied that “we found a handful of documents” that had been “filed in the wrong place” and that he was cooperating with the National Archives and the Justice Department.
“I think you’re going to find there’s nothing there,” he said.
(WASHINGTON) — Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel over the weekend, which killed hundreds and triggered a new war in the Middle East, also drew a range of political reactions in the U.S.
Presidential contenders seized on the issue, deposed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy sought to draw a contrast with the White House and the Biden administration — like most of the rest of Washington — reiterated support for Israel as some demonstrations also showed divisions among left-leaning lawmakers and some Republicans said their own infighting was an obstacle to providing aid to Jerusalem.
GOP members of Congress and White House hopefuls alike tore into President Joe Biden for past criticism of Israel over settlement expansion, a controversial judicial overhaul plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and more, on top of a recent unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets as part of a deal to free American detainees.
“I can’t imagine how anybody who’s Jewish or anybody who loves Israel — and frankly, the evangelicals just love Israel — I can’t imagine anybody voting Democrat, let alone for this man,” former President Donald Trump said of Biden on Monday while in New Hampshire, an early voting state in the 2024 nominating contest.
Biden, for his part, issued a joint statement with several other world leaders to “express our steadfast and united support to the State of Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.”
In a separate statement, he shared his grief at the “inexcusable hatred and violence.”
South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott urged on CNN that “we should be prepared to send resources to Israel without any question” — and in a campaign stop he indirectly criticized 2024 rival Vivek Ramaswamy for previously suggesting financial aid to Israel shouldn’t be given indefinitely or as regularly as it is now. Ramaswamy has since attested to his support for Israel.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the No. 2 candidate in the GOP primary so far, said in his own statement: “[R]ight now, America must immediately do three things: (i) freeze any money Joe Biden has made available to Iran; (ii) cut off any and all types of foreign aid flowing to Hamas; and (iii) immediately shut down America’s … southern border to ensure we are in a position to better protect Americans here at home from these real threats.”
The Republican National Committee drew criticism of its own after its chair, Ronna McDaniel, said the fighting marked “a great opportunity for our candidates” to contrast with Biden’s policies on the issue, which McDaniel lambasted.
“While apparently some individuals like Ronna McDaniel consider this loss of life and pain a ‘great opportunity,’ most Americans see it as a horrific tragedy,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement.
McDaniel said in a social media post on Sunday, “My heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones in these horrific acts of terrorism. We stand with you and with Israel.”
Separately, Republicans are also lamenting Congress’ inability to approve more aid to Israel — largely because the body remains bottlenecked after a small group of GOP lawmakers left the House without a speaker and unable to pass legislation.
“When you see events like what we are seeing unfold in the Middle East, it shows why you don’t play politics with this stuff,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who represents a district Biden won by 10 points in 2020, said on Monday.
McCarthy, the speaker who was voted out last week, spoke with reporters on Monday about what he felt should be done to address the attack on Israel.
“Now is the time for action,” he said. “America needs a five-point plan to meet this moment, to help our ally Israel and to strengthen our own future.”
ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott pressed McCarthy about what message it sent that the House is without a speaker amid the crisis.
“It’s wrong. It’s wrong,” McCarthy said, adding: “We are living in very dangerous times. The pettiness has got to stop.”
Since the attack unfolded beginning on Saturday, a number of demonstrations in support of Israel and the Palestinians have been held in the U.S. — sometimes leading to reports of altercations between attendees.
One rally in New York City, intended to be “in solidarity” with Palestinians, was denounced by New York’s Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as “abhorrent and morally repugnant” as critics of the event noted that organizers opposed the right of Israel to exist.
Other Democrats joined Hochul, like Rep. Ritchie Torres. Some of the party’s most vocal critics of Israel’s government, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the first Palestinian in Congress, condemned the violence while also sharing support for Palestinian civilians.
“Today is devastating for all those seeking a lasting peace and respect for human rights in Israel and Palestine,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a statement.
All the while, the 2024 election cycle grinds on, raising the question of how much this unfolding foreign policy issue may influence voters.
The brazenness of Hamas’ sprawling attack and the anticipatedly fierce response by Israel may draw one of the U.S.’ closest allies into a protracted conflict that could keep eyes fixed on Jerusalem and Gaza for months to come.
“Given how volatile and fluid the situation is, I think it is very difficult to speculate about the political impact at this point,” said Democratic pollster and presidential campaign veteran Matt Hogan.
GOP strategists who spoke to ABC News also mostly agreed that the conflict would do little to impact next year’s general election.
David Kochel, another presidential campaign veteran, said it’s “too early to tell” what the impact would be but said he hadn’t seen foreign policy impact a presidential general election “without U.S. troops” on the ground.
“I don’t necessarily think it will impact the general, but I’m sure it will play into the broader foreign affairs debate on both sides,” said one GOP strategist with extensive experience working in Iowa.
Republicans were torn, however, over whether the fighting would play up in the GOP presidential primary, particularly in Iowa, where evangelical voters hold outsized sway.
“It’s looking like it could turn into a broader debate about isolationism, but Iowa conservatives are overwhelmingly supportive of Israel. Caucusgoers will be looking for their preferred candidate to back Israel, so I’d expect contenders will be tripping over themselves to be the most pro-Israel in the coming weeks — especially when in Iowa,” said one strategist with experience working in the state.
Kochel predicted that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley could get a fresh look from voters, given her foreign policy credentials after serving as U.N. ambassador under Trump. Haley advocates a muscular U.S. involvement abroad.
Trump, whose campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News, still could point to a string of moves that appeal to Republicans, including moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and forging peace deals between Israel and several Arab countries during his administration.
“I don’t look for the war in Israel to change a lot of minds,” said Bob Vander Plaats, an influential Christian conservative leader in Iowa. “Most candidates are rock-solid on our alliance with Israel.”
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Monday confirmed at least 11 Americans have been killed in the fighting in Israel, and believes more may have been taken hostage by Hamas.
“It’s heart wrenching,” Biden said in a statement. “These families have been torn apart by inexcusable hatred and violence.”
Biden said his administration is aware other U.S. citizens are missing and that they are working with Israeli officials to learn more about their whereabouts, though he didn’t elaborate on how many Americans are unaccounted for as the conflict rages.
“The safety of American citizens — whether at home or abroad — is my top priority as President,” Biden said.
“While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas,” he continued. “I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts.”
President Biden had no public events on Monday, drawing criticism from some Republicans, although the White House said he was meeting with members of his administration and speaking with close allies.
Earlier in the day, Rep. Kevin McCarthy held a press conference to propose a “five-point plan” for how the U.S. should respond — in which he said rescuing any American hostages should be the administration’s “first priority.”
“This administration must also make clear that harming any American will really result in the wrath of the United States,” McCarthy said. “We cannot repeat what happened in Afghanistan. It must be clear that we do not negotiate with terrorists and no American will be left behind.”
More than 900 people have died in and 2,500 injured in Israel since Saturday’s surprise attacks from Hamas. Israeli Defense Forces previously said at least 100 people are missing, and on Monday Hamas threatened they will start killing hostages unless Israel stops shelling homes in Gaza without warning.
White House spokesman John Kirby, in an interview with ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis, said the administration has still not been able to confirm that Americans are among the hostages, but have remained in “constant touch” with Israeli officials in the last few hours.
“We don’t really know whether they’re just missing somewhere, or are lost, or whether they’re being held hostage,” Kirby said of the Americans whose whereabouts are unknown. “I think we have to accept the possibility that at least some of them are being held hostage by Hamas.”
“We just don’t have good, solid answers right now,” he added.
Kirby, during an earlier appearance on CNN, became emotional when discussing the images of children kidnapped and young women abducted.
“Sorry, excuse me, it’s very difficult to look at these images Jake and the human cost,” Kirby said after choking up for several seconds. “And these are human beings, they’re family members, they’re friends, they’re loved ones, cousins, brothers, sisters. Yeah, it’s difficult.”
(WASHINGTON) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is dropping out of the Democratic primary race against Joe Biden to launch an independent campaign for president next year, he said in a speech on Monday.
Speaking to a crowd in front of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, he cast his decision to leave the party his family has symbolized for decades as in keeping with American values of individualism — and his own platform, which mixes liberal policy priorities with tougher rhetoric on immigration and controversial claims about public health.
“Something is stirring in us. It says, ‘It doesn’t have to be this way,'” Kennedy said. “People stop me everywhere, at airports and hotels and malls on the street, and they remind me that this country is ready for a history-making change. … They are ready to reclaim their freedom, their independence. And that’s why I’m here today. I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate … for president of the United States.”
“I’m coming here today to declare our independence from the journey of corruption, which robs us of affordable lives, our belief in the future and our respect for each other. But to do that, I must first declare my own independence, independence from the Democratic Party,” he said.
An attorney and activist, Kennedy is the scion of one of the country’s most famous Democratic families: His father is slain Sen. Robert F. Kennedy Sr. and his uncle is former President John F. Kennedy.
The younger Kennedy in April launched a long shot bid against Biden for the 2024 Democratic nomination.
Since then, however, Kennedy has attracted relatively little support from Democrats in national polling, according to 538, though he has drawn millions in donations from a base of supporters.
An independent bid is a new twist in next year’s election — at a time when surveys consistently show voters have soured on a potential rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump — though it’s not yet clear if Kennedy can draw enough voters away from the two-party system.
Teasing his Philadelphia speech last week as one that would create a “sea change in American politics,” Kennedy’s announcement follows mounting speculation about his future in the party after repeatedly sparring with the Democratic National Committee over the rules governing its primary and complaints of an unfair process.
At Monday’s event, Kennedy called out some of his relatives for attending in support. Others in the family, however, have been vocally critical. Sister Kerry Kennedy released a statement on social media from her and three of their siblings calling his candidacy “perilous for our country.”
Author and speaker Marianne Williamson is now the only notable challenger to Biden in the Democratic primary, though he continues to poll far ahead of her and party officials have said they support his reelection.
Kennedy drew a sharp rebuke from Democrats over the summer after he was recorded citing a false conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was “targeted to” certain ethnicities while Chinese people and Jews of European descent were more immune. In a later appearance before a House committee, he denied that he is racist or antisemitic.
Kennedy said last month that he had not ruled out an independent run to challenge the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees in the November 2024 election, despite having repeatedly ruled out such a possibility over the summer.
“I’m a Democrat. You know, I’m a traditional Democrat, and … part of my mission here is to summon the Democratic Party back to its traditional ideals,” Kennedy told Fox News in August.
But in September, he refused to rule out the possibility of an independent run during a campaign town hall in North Charleston, South Carolina, telling a supporter he was “going to keep all my options open.”
At the time, Kennedy’s campaign manager, former Rep. Dennis Kucinich, dismissed the idea of him leaving the Democratic primary.
“Regardless of what’s been said, even by the candidate himself, we have not abandoned hope for the Democratic Party,” he told ABC News when asked about Kennedy’s apparent openness to an independent run.
Last week, the Kennedy-aligned American Values 2024 political group said that it had been polling him as an independent candidate.
“I can tell you that I think the right move is for him to run as an independent,” Tony Lyons, American Values’ co-chair, told ABC News last week.
(WASHINGTON) — Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy, deposed just last week as House speaker, on Monday didn’t rule out returning to that position as he spoke out against the Hamas attack on Israel.
Touting his own experience as a strong supporter of Israel, McCarthy said President Joe Biden’s “first priority” should be rescuing any American hostages being held by Hamas.
At least nine Americans have been killed in Israel since Saturday’s attack, a U.S. official confirmed Monday.
“This administration must also make clear that harming any American will really result in the wrath of the United States,” McCarthy said. “We cannot repeat what happened in Afghanistan. It must be clear that we do not negotiate with terrorists and no American will be left behind.”
“Now is the time for action,” McCarthy said as he held an unusual news conference in the Capitol while much of Washington marked a federal holiday. “America needs a five-point plan to meet this moment, to help our ally Israel and to strengthen our own future.”
The other aspects of McCarthy’s plan include resupplying Israel’s munitions; confronting Iran; boosting national security; and confronting domestic antisemitism.
McCarthy also shared his message for Biden.
“And to the president, turn off the barbecue and speak to the American people,” he said — a swipe at the Bidens for holding a barbecue on Sunday for White House residence staff and their families.
President Biden on Saturday condemned the “appalling assault” on Israel and vowed his administration’s support for Israel’s security is “rock solid and unwavering.” Biden had no public events on Monday, however, prompting criticism from some Republicans.
McCarthy was ousted from speakership last week in a historic vote, with eight Republican rebels voting to remove him.
The unprecedented vote has left the House essentially paralyzed without a speaker. Two Republicans, Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Steve Scalise of Louisiana, have thrown their hats into the ring for the position. House Republicans are set to hold a candidate forum Tuesday and their own conference speaker election as early as Wednesday.
McCarthy was asked on Monday if he envisioned any scenario in which he’d be a candidate, and didn’t dismiss the idea — a shift since his statement last week that he would not be running again.
“I’ll allow the conference to make whatever decision,” he replied, referring to House Republicans meeting this week to choose a new leader.
McCarthy stressed his own experience leading bipartisan delegations to Israel, and said Israel President Isaac Herzog called him “as a friend” amid last week’s speakership showdown.
ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott pressed McCarthy about what message it sent to allies and the free world that the House of Representatives is without a new speaker amid the crisis.
“It’s wrong. It’s wrong,” McCarthy said, adding: “We are living in very dangerous times. The pettiness has got to stop.”
–ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Lauren Peller, Benjamin Siegel and Arthur Jones II contributed to this report.
