Donald Trump marked the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks with a commemoration at his Miami golf resort, where he claimed the assault would not have occurred if he were still president. Speaking to around 300 supporters, mostly from the Jewish community, the Republican nominee blamed the Biden-Harris administration for what he called the 'weakness' that emboldened Hamas.
Trump described the attacks, which killed 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage, as 'one of the darkest days in all of history'. He asserted that a surge in antisemitism, particularly within the Democratic Party, was a direct consequence of current US leadership. 'The Republican party has not been infected by this horrible disease, and won’t be as long as I’m in charge,' he said.
The former president pledged to restore strong US-Israel ties, stating, 'I will not allow the Jewish state to be threatened with destruction.' His fiery rhetoric contrasted with earlier remarks from Vice President Kamala Harris, who honoured victims and affirmed Israel's right to self-defence. President Joe Biden also condemned antisemitism and expressed sorrow for all suffering in the Middle East.
Trump’s event, which began over two hours late, featured the lighting of remembrance candles by Holocaust survivors and Republican leaders. However, his stance drew criticism given past comments, including calling Hezbollah 'very smart' and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant 'a jerk' shortly after the attacks. The White House had previously labelled such remarks 'dangerous and unhinged'.
