WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined Neil Cavuto on Fox Business’ Cavuto: Coast to Coast to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed terrorist organization, Hamas. Daines slammed President Biden for his weakness toward Iran, spoke about his first-hand experience in the tunnels built by Hezbollah and called for sanctions on Iran.
Watch the interview HERE
Daines on Biden’s Refusal to Link Iran to Hamas
Well, look, this is a moment where moral clarity is badly needed from the Biden administration. Not only for Israel, not only for the United States, but for the world to clearly stand with Israel and standing with Israel means allowing Israel to do what it needs to do to protect itself.
To have the Biden administration starting to manage the ground war in Israel is wrong. Let Israel lead, let them do what they need to do to protect itself. And I just, I’m just absolutely appalled by the fact that President Biden will not link Iran to what’s going on with Hamas, as well as Hezbollah, as well as the Houthis in Yemen. This war is funded and supported by the Iranian regime.
Why can’t the President of the United States say we stand with Israel, let Israel do what it has to do to protect itself, and to condemn Iran? Instead of condemning Iran, of course, they unfreeze $6 billion of frozen assets with that crazy hostage exchange, and as you just reported, have freed up $40 billion of oil revenues for Iran at the same time President Biden is shutting down the Keystone Pipeline, shutting down American oil production in places like Alaska and around the rest of our country. The contrast right here, Neil, is black and white. And I tell you what, President Biden’s policies side with softening and appeasement with Iran, not standing with Israel.
Daines on the Threat of Hezbollah
Well, as you have been reported here across the many, many channels, the Houthis, which are Iranian – backed group, launched cruise missiles, drones that have been intercepted by the USS Crane, a destroyer in the Red Sea. So, they’re shooting at Israel from Yemen. They’re shooting at Israel through to come across Gaza.
And, Neil, just seven weeks ago, I was on the Lebanon board with Israel, the northern border. What worries me greatly is this, if this escalates, is Hezbollah. Hezbollah has been digging these terror tunnels from Lebanon into Israel. They’ve been digging them since 2014. I went down in those tunnels seven weeks ago and saw it firsthand with the Israeli Defense Forces. Painted inside those tunnels in Arabic it says, “On our way to Jerusalem.”
Hezbollah is a much greater threat to Israel right now than Hamas is. They have 130,000 missiles and rockets pointed in southern Lebanon at Israel, and they embed these in hospitals, in schools, in mosques because these terrorists have no value for life. They’re using human shields, innocent people here, to defend their terrorist ways. This is where President Biden has to stand up and call it like it should be seen. Iran is behind this. That is the evil regime that says death through America. They call us the “big Satan.” They call Israel the “little Satan.” Why can’t President Biden say that publicly? Because it’s important that he’s clear around who the good guys are and the bad guys are.
Daines on Needing Peace Through Strength with Iran
Well look one thing that that the Middle East responds to is strength, but it also responds to weakness. President Biden’s weakness has emboldened the Iranians to do what they’re doing right now. They’re not afraid of him.
It is strength that keeps peace as Ronald Reagan always said. That’s important in the Middle East. What president Biden’s doing is he really has an appeasement strategy with the Iranians. He wants to bring them back to the table. We need to bring Iran down to its knees. That’s why the sanctions from the last administration under President Trump, were working. Shut down oil revenues, put Iran in the corner. Instead, he’s off meddling with the Israelis telling him how to manage their ground war. That’s wrong.