Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the CNN June 27 debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump that will certainly feature some questions about Israel, Iran and antisemitism. Here is an example of what kinds of questions they might be asked and what they might say.
Q: President Biden, you have said there is an “Ironclad” relationship with Israel but since the attacks of October 7, Israel has launched an offensive that has killed many thousands of civilians including children. You have expressed concern about the number of civilians killed and humanitarian aid allowed. Has the relationship between America and Israel been harmed?
Biden: I am the first president to go to Israel during war time. I have been a great friend to Israel. It is because of my administration that those who would seek to enflame the Middle East and enlarge the war were warned not to, and the situation has mostly been contained to not involve full scale attacks from other countries. We do want as few civilians as possible killed and we want to make sure Palestinians get all the humanitarian aid they need. We have been working hard to try to secure a ceasefire and get the hostages back.
Trump: Ironclad? I said I would move the embassy to Jerusalem and I did it. That’s Ironclad. People know that nothing about this president is Ironclad, he’s like the Titan submersible that tragically sank. Breaking down and not reliable.
Q: Are you concerned about the threat of Iran getting nuclear weapons?
Trump: I took out Qasem Soleimani. This guy took out a warehouse. I had Iran reeling, and this guy has unfrozen funds so they could be dealing and causing terrorism. October 7 would have never happened if I was in office. The enemies of America and Israel act harshly when they see weakness.
Biden: You may have missed the historic coordination between Israel, America and other nations like Jordan and Saudi Arabia to protect Israel and make sure that those missiles were shot down out of the sky. That’s not hypothetical. That was real. Maybe you missed it because you were playing golf, meeting with a white supremacist or preparing with one of your lawyers in the many cases against you. We had to respond immediately, and we did. That only happens when countries work together, share intelligence and coordinate. That only happens when there is trust. That’s what happens when there is a competent system in place to respond in real time.
Trump: Iran would have never fired those missiles if I was president.
Biden: Sure, and you can make a truce between Russia and Ukraine in 24 hours! Sure! Here’s the deal. This guy lies about everything. He is a convicted felon. He fired dozens of his own staff and we saw what happened in his presidency.
Trump: Iran and the enemies of America are laughing. You said your uncle was shot down and eaten by cannibals. You have lost all respect. It’s a complete mess. Maybe you should give them some more millions, Joe. We give money to Israel to have weapons to protect itself and unfreeze money for Iran to use against Israel. It makes no sense!
Biden: You said you need ID to buy a loaf of bread. Maybe you should quit this race, buy a clue and start “The Apprentice Part II.”
Q: Is Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu someone who can bring peace or he is part of the problem?
Biden: There were many protests against Netanyahu before October 7, and it’s clear many in Israel want the hostages back and would like to see a ceasefire. I think we need an Israeli administration that shows a commitment to a two-state solution and a ceasefire. I think whoever is Prime Minister needs to have the right vision and not a radical one that doesn’t put us on a road map to peace.
Trump: You hugged Bibi after October 7 and you stabbed him in the back and chose to stop sending certain weapons that were needed even after it was approved by Congress. You are letting down Israel to try to get Muslim voters in Michigan and swing states, but they see you as not fit. About the only thing pro-Israel and anti-Israel demonstrators have in common is they don’t like you. Is that what you meant when you said you would unite the country? If anybody should end their political career, it’s you. You sent Chuck Schumer to blame Netanyahu and Hamas in the same sentence. His damaging speech gave license to people to go wild against Israel. It was a very unfortunate speech and sends the message to the world that America will one day say we support our allies and the next day turn on them.
Biden: My support was critical and I flew there during war time. I made sure there was not an escalation. I am respected by leaders of other countries who know you didn’t have the experience and you only won the first time because you were a TV host. You are a convicted felon who paid hush money. If only I could pay you to hush!
You still claimed the election was stolen so don’t talk to me about respect. We have to do what’s possible for a two-state solution. As for protests, there is freedom of speech and as long as it is not violent, the Constitution allows people to express their ideas, we cannot stifle them just because we don’t agree with them. I hate seeing those awful MAGA hats but it’s free speech. And about Netanyahu, you cursed him out because like a child, you were mad he called me to congratulate me when I was the lawful president, and you couldn’t deal. Here’s the deal. You lost. Get over it. And you’re gonna lose again. If I had a nickel for every time you lied, I could pay off the national debt.
Q: There were many campus protests against Israel that at times became violent and there has been a rise in antisemitism. What would have been the proper message?
Biden: You may remember that I decided to run for president because of what I saw in Charlottesville when they said Jews will not replace us while holding Tiki torches. MAGA allowed an environment that emboldened antisemites, and haters of all kinds. We take antisemitism seriously as well as islamophobia and hate of any kind. I gave the proper message that freedom of speech is protected but violence is not.
Trump: Americans can pick me, a candidate of law and order, or you, a candidate of chaos at the border and chaos on the campuses. You have created an environment where anything goes. You had Jews being threatened, you had vandalism, and had threats to public safety, but Biden kept quiet because he needs the woke vote and is afraid of the Squad which controls him. The campus protests were a disgrace. We will only see more of it. You waited way too long to say anything as the campus protests were going out of control. Elise Stefanik was very tough and she asked questions and the campus presidents showed they are not very concerned with protecting the rights of Jewish students.
Biden: You are the one who riles people up and stayed quiet on January 6 and said nothing for hours because you loved the chaos. You love using fear. But American people are smarter than that and they don’t want to go back to the way it was before. We know from the Muslim ban where you stand.
Q: President Trump, Jewish voters overwhelmingly voted for President Biden in the last election. You’ve said that Jewish American who vote for Democrats hate Israel. Do you regret that statement?
Trump: It was a perfect statement. If Jews care about Israel, they will be voting for Trump. If they care about America and want to make it great again, they will vote for Trump. Is the Squad in the Republican or Democratic Party? Don’t forget that Joe told a radio host that if you don’t vote for Biden, you ain’t Black. He was entitled to say that, but I think he was wrong. And I said what I said, and people know I’m right. They can see that under Trump we did not have two major wars, and under Biden, we have two. It’s not rocket science. Is Israel better off than it was four years ago? Is America? Nobody thinks so.
Biden: It’s a good thing I beat you because American voters know had you gotten a second term, we might be in World War III. You might have just given Ukraine to Russia because you don’t have the foreign policy experience. I have years of it. You’re used to getting away with breaking the rules and lying and complaining that everything is a witch hunt? America needs a person of character and integrity.
Trump: You supposedly played football. Did you give the playbook to the other team? You announced no American troops would set foot in Ukraine or in Israel and that may be the right policy. But you don’t announce it to the world. Let our enemies wonder what we might do. You gave them the playbook and you’re a joke. These attacks happened because they know under Biden, they get away scott free, but under Trump there would be hell to pay. You should have said loud and proud that Israel is not committing a genocide. But you didn’t do it. You only spoke when you were told you had to.
Biden: I don’t think you played football. Your team would have walked off the field like many of the people who quit on you. And when it comes to election day, people will realize there is only one logical choice. That is the man who is not a convicted felon, that is the man who flew to Israel in a time of war to show support, and the man who is a respected statesman.
Trump: There is pass interference. You were guilty of election interference, with some 51 “experts” who said the laptop was Russian disinformation. Now we know that the laptop is real. What else is on there? Do you think countries that want to destroy America and Israel are concerned about a President who lies about his own son’s computer? And let’s talk about numbers. First, you doubted the numbers of the Gaza health Ministry run by Hamas were accurate. Now you’re not sure. So, which is it? Do you trust terrorists or our ally, Israel?
Biden: That’s rich coming from someone selling Bibles for $60 who can’t even name one biblical verse. You said you liked all of them. Can you name one verse? It’s bad enough you mark up your real estate holdings. You have to do the same with G-d’s book? The difference between me and you is that I’m a product of America and you’re trying to sell America as your product! I think we should all wait until you can name one verse from the Bible.
Trump: Americans thanked G-d when Bin Laden was killed. President Obama gave the order. Crooked Hillary got that one straight and she said to get Bin Laden. But you didn’t. You needed more information. And that was when you were sharper and didn’t need index cards like you do now. It’s very sad. But we have two wars going on and it is very clear that the enemies of America would like to see Joe in office. All the Democrat lies are coming apart. They tried to say I was racist but look at the Bronx, we had 25,000 people. And I’m sure I will get more Jewish voters in this election because it’s a life and death situation. I was able to do the Abraham Accords. They said it couldn’t be done. When I win, I will make a peace deal with Saudi Arabia. Of course, MBS – I call him MBS – doesn’t like you. You didn’t even shake his hand. You gave him a fist bump! What a joke!
Biden: Here’s the deal. There are still investigations going on. A convicted felon can’t be trusted. You’re gonna say one thing one day and another the next. You pulled out of an Iran deal so they don’t trust us, and they are closer to nuclear weapons because of you. G-d help us if you win. You’d let the world go to chaos if it meant getting revenge on someone you didn’t like. When things get tough, cooler heads need to prevail – that can work together and inspire collaboration, cooperation and integration. It might sound cool to be a lone wolf, but Trump is a wolf that turns on his friends and after all his lies, he has no one to turn to. This man thought Palestinians for money would give up their rights. That was insulting and the word honor is not in his vocabulary. You think you’re the one to help the Israeli hostages? Remember what you said about John McCain. You said he’s not a war hero because he was captured and you like people who aren’t captured. Isn’t that right?
Q: Would you advocate military action against Iran?
Biden: There can only be a diplomatic solution and we are in a pickle because Trump prematurely pulled out of the deal that we worked so hard on with Iran and now we are in unchartered waters. It would be a grave mistake to avoid diplomacy and go getting involved in a war in the Middle East that won’t solve anything. We have to learn from our mistakes.
Trump: No option should be off the table. That’s all I will say about it.
Q: In the event that Hamas is defeated, who should control Gaza?
Trump: Hamas should not be involved but hopefully it can be the UAE, Saudi Arabia and some other multinational force while there is a rebuild? If Israel has to control it for a time, maybe that’s what needs to be done.
Biden: I think that would be a bad idea. The Palestinian Authority should be strengthened. In the past, Hamas was strengthened and were able to carry out this terrible attack, so we need to give the Palestinian people a better alternative and a better choice that cares about their security, dignity and humanity as well as that of the Israelis.
