Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on October 26, 2024. Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images/DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images

Of Jacob Kornbluh
October 27, 2024

Israeli strikes on military sites in Iran late Friday, an operation closely coordinated with the Biden administration, garnered rare bipartisan US support. Both presidential candidates — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump — have championed the strike as a critical step for regional stability and security.

“The attack on Iran was precise and powerful and achieved all its objectives,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who thanked the US “for close coordination and assistance.”

The White House and the Harris campaign expressed relief that Israel did not hit critical infrastructure, averting possible Iranian retaliation and reducing the risk of a regional war less than two weeks before the presidential election.

President Joe Biden told reporters on Saturday that he hoped the Israeli strikes would mark “END” of escalation in the Middle East.

Here’s what Trump, Harris and Sen. JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, said about Israel’s action against Iran:

Trump’s response

As the strikes were taking place Friday night, Trump — speaking at a campaign rally in Michigan — Harris criticized because she appeared at the same time at an event with Beyoncé in Texas. “Israel is attacking. We have a war, and she’s out partying,” Trump said.

On Saturday, Trump took the stage at another rally in Michigan a group of imams who supported him. “Michigan Muslim and Arab voters across the country want an end to endless wars and a return to peace in the Middle East, just as we have under President Donald J. Trump. Have you ever heard of him?” Trump said, referring to himself in the third person.

Trump did not directly address the strike politically, but still offered his full support for the Israeli government’s decisions to defend itself against Iran and its proxies. The Washington Post reported that in a recent phone call with Netanyahu, Trump said, “Do what you have to do.” Earlier this month, Trump advised Israel to “strike nuclear first and worry about the rest later,” in response to Iran’s second ballistic missile attack on Israel.

Harris’s response

In an interview with CBS Evening News Anchor Norah O’Donnell, Harris said it “would be a mistake” for Tehran to respond to Israel’s counterattack. “We are ready to defend Israel, as we have done before. We’ll do it again,” Harris said. “But the critical point is that there must be de-escalation in the region. And we are working through diplomatic and other channels to make sure there is a de-escalation in the region.”

Commenting on Trump’s call with Netanyahu, Harris said Sunday“It is extremely important that we, as the United States of America, be an active participant in encouraging, one, that this war ends, that we get the hostages out; but also that there is a real commitment among nations to a two-station solution.”

Vance’s response

A convinced supporter of Trump’s “America First” agenda, Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, opposed interventionist policies. But on Sunday, Vance said he supported the position of US troops in the region to protect the national interests of the US and its allies from its adversaries.

“I think it’s reasonable to support Israel as it deals with this highly unprovoked attack from Iran,” Vance said in an interview. on CBS News Face the Nation. “I don’t think we should be taking assets from the Middle East at a time when our most important ally in the region is under significant attack. I don’t think that would send the right message. And most importantly, it’s not just Israel, it’s us. We have interests that are important in the Middle East.”

Vance also suggested that the Biden administration has “empowered” Iran by easing sanctions and releasing frozen assets meant for humanitarian purposes. “The reason Iran has all these weapons to fire at Israel is because they have a lot of money,” he said. “That big mistake was empowering Iran financially to afford a lot of the weapons they’re now firing, not just at the Israelis, but at us.”