After delivering his remarks to reporters about the brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, President Joe Biden shut down one journalist who asked if President-elect Donald Trump—who played no role in the negotiations—should get credit for the deal.
A ceasefire agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas, bringing a potential end to 15 months of devastating conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in the Gaza Strip, left Israeli hostages in limbo, and reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.
The truce, announced on Wednesday, includes provisions to halt Israel's bombardment of Gaza, which has resulted in over 46,500 fatalities according to local health authorities. It also outlines the gradual release of dozens of hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack and the release of hundreds of Palestinians detained by Israel.
Additionally, the ceasefire will allow for the daily entry of hundreds of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip, addressing the urgent humanitarian crisis in the region.
Biden discussed the deal at a press conference and received the following question from a reporter:
"How much credit do you give to the Trump team for this deal? Trump is already taking credit for it."
Indeed, Trump claimed earlier that "the EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies."
Biden emphasized the work he and his administration did to actually get things done with no involvement from the president-elect:
"Well, you know, this is the exact framework of the deal I proposed back in May. Exact. And we got the world to endorse it. Secondly, it's America's support for Israel that help them badly weaken Hamas and its backers and create the conditions for this deal."
"And thirdly, I knew this deal would have to be implemented by the next team, so i told my team to coordinate closely with the incoming team to make sure we're all speaking with the same voice, because that's what American presidents do."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
But then a reporter shouted the following question as he, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken began to walk away:
"Who gets credit for this, Mr. President? You or Trump?"
To that, Biden turned and said:
"Is that a joke?"
You can see the moment in the video below.
It was the perfect response and prompted many to criticize the reporter's question.
And as liberal activist Ed Krassenstein pointed out, citing a post in which Trump suggested his team had brokered "A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST":
"For those who don’t know. Joe Biden is President. He got the deal done. Not Trump. This is really sad."
You can see his post below.
Israel’s cabinet is scheduled to vote on Friday regarding the ceasefire and hostages deal amid tensions within the governing coalition.
The delay comes after Israel accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement, a claim Hamas has denied. A prominent coalition partner has threatened to withdraw support if Israel does not resume military operations after the first stage of the ceasefire.
The proposed three-phase deal is expected to commence Sunday, though many specifics and the timeline remain uncertain. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated he will withhold public comment until the agreement is finalized.
Despite the announcement of the ceasefire, Israeli bombardments have reportedly killed at least 83 people in Gaza in the past day, marking the highest single-day death toll in over a week.
