During CNN’s coverage of the Michigan primaries on Tuesday, Biden Campaign Co-Chair Mitch Landrieu stated that President Joe Biden “hears what it is that the folks in Michigan are saying and what the uncommitted team is asking us to think about, and he’s putting that into his thought about how to move forward” on the Israel-Hamas conflict and “in the last month or so” Biden has shown “the commitment that he has to make sure that he’s pushing as hard as he can on the leaders of Israel” on how they handle the conflict.
Landrieu said that while Biden had a good performance, “That is not to say that the uncommitted vote wasn’t substantial, they’re sending a message. The President, as you know, has gotten the message. The President has sent a number of senior advisers out to Michigan to talk about this. This is a very complicated issue. The President continues to make sure that we put American interests first and is working hard, as you know, on humanitarian aid, working on a ceasefire so that we can actually get the hostages out, and continues to listen to this very difficult pain that communities are going through all across the country, both in the Jewish community and in the Muslim and the Palestinian community as well. That message has been delivered, it’s going to keep getting delivered, and the President’s going to continue to listen.”
Later, he added, “[T]he President hears what it is that the folks in Michigan are saying and what the uncommitted team is asking us to think about, and he’s putting that into his thought about how to move forward on this very complicated, very difficult issue, which, as you know, we are really not driving the train on. And it is not something that’s going to be easy. You saw the President, I think, yesterday, getting ice cream when somebody asked him, well, what’s going on with this? And he said, look, I expect from my advisers hopefully to have some news on great humanitarian aid, and, then, of course, hopefully at least a temporary ceasefire so they can get the hostages out, which is a critical problem. But the President believes that people ought to voice their opinion. People in Michigan are doing that. And, of course, people across the country will continue to do that and he will take that into consideration as he moves forward on this very complicated and difficult issue.”
Landrieu also stated that while Biden has supported and supports Israel, “He also has demonstrated, I think, in the last month or so, about the commitment that he has to make sure that he’s pushing as hard as he can on the leaders of Israel, who by the way, the President does not get to choose.”
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