Earlier this week, President Biden told reporters he was optimistic that talks in the Middle East would result in a ceasefire in Gaza.
“My national security adviser tells me that we’re close,” Biden told reporters who asked him when he expected a cease-fire would begin.
“We’re not done yet. And my hope is by next Monday, we’ll have a cease-fire,” he said.
According to NPR, “Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that negotiators from the United States, Israel, Egypt and Qatar had reached an understanding on the outlines of a temporary cease-fire in Gaza in order to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas and allow more aid to enter Gaza.”
But now Biden appears to be walking back his statements on the ceasefire.
“I was on the telephone with the people in the region. Probably not by Monday,” Biden told reporters before boarding Marine One.
Watch the clips below:
Biden shuffles over to the press to weigh in on a ceasefire in Gaza: "I was on the telephone with the people in the region. Probably not by Monday."
(On Monday, Biden said he expected a ceasefire "by the beginning of the weekend, I mean the end of the weekend.") pic.twitter.com/moOEuoBJwJ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 29, 2024
Biden backs up from the press after getting confused, does a little quarter-step jog, and shuffles across the lawn. VIGOR! pic.twitter.com/EWYDrg77I2
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 29, 2024
President Biden is eager to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza as it’s costing him votes with Arab-Americans — especially in the state of Michigan were more than 100,000 Democrats voted “Uncommitted” during the primary election this week.