Happening this Friday: President Biden links aid for Israel and Ukraine in primetime address… Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, holds press conference ahead of another expected speaker vote… Ex-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell pleads guilty in Georgia election-interference case… Newly appointed Sen. Laphonza Butler says she won’t run for CA-SEN seat in 2024… And Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy and Doug Burgum all campaign in Iowa.
But FIRST… Two weeks ago, we wrote about all the growing political instability — a House GOP ousting its speaker; Donald Trump’s increasingly violent rhetoric; and the indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., as well as the not-guilty plea by Hunter Biden.
Well, two weeks later, both American politics and the world have become more unstable.
War now has erupted in the Middle East, killing thousands in Israel and Gaza — and with U.S. ships in the region now shooting down drones and missiles, per NBC’s Courtney Kube and Mosheh Gains.
House Republicans, meanwhile, enter their 17th day without a speaker, which has brought any legislative action in that chamber to a halt.
The overwhelming frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump, just saw his former lawyer plead guilty in that Fulton County, Ga., election-interference case.
And then you had President Joe Biden, in just his second presidential Oval Office address, make the case to the American public on Thursday night why the United States needs to fund Israel and Ukraine in their current wars.
“You know, history has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They keep going, and the cost and the threats to America and to the world keep rising,” Biden said.
Headline of the day
The number of the day is … $100 billion
That’s how much the Biden administration is seeking from Congress in supplemental aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the U.S. border.
The request is expected to seek $60 billion for Ukraine, and a combined $40 billion for Taiwan, Israel and the U.S. border.
The administration plans to submit the emergency aid request to Congress Friday and in a primetime speech to the nation Thursday night, Biden stressed the importance of the money.
“It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations,” he said. “We’re going to make sure other hostile actors in the region know that Israel is stronger than ever and prevent this conflict from spreading.”
Eyes on 2024: GOP hopefuls weigh in on Biden’s speech
Following President Biden’s primetime address, several Republican presidential candidates slammed Biden for his approach to foreign policy. Others do not appear to have weighed in yet, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Earlier on Thursday, Christie did praise Biden, telling reporters in New Hampshire: “I give President Biden credit. I think that what he has said since the crisis has been smart and correct. And I think that his trip to Israel was the right thing to do,” per NBC News’ Emma Barnett.
But other GOP hopefuls took the opportunity to criticize the president. Here’s how they reacted to Biden’s primetime address:
Doug Burgum statement: “Americans must remember that Joe Biden’s failed policies and weakness are the cause of these calamitous conflicts across the globe … Joe Biden is making a world where Americans are less prosperous and less safe. The blood spilled in places like Israel and Ukraine are a stain on Joe Biden that America should never forget.”
Nikki Haley post on X: “The shame of it all is that we wouldn’t be in this terrible position if Joe Biden hadn’t been so weak in Afghanistan, so slow in Ukraine, so pandering to Iran, and so absent from the border. The world is on fire, and America needs strong new leadership to deal with it.”
Sen. Tim Scott on CNN: “I was frustrated by this speech. Terrorists bombed our ally, Israel, and we heard more about Ukraine than we did our ally Israel. And the package itself has more money for Ukraine than it does for Israel. I think we would be better off having a single focus on Israel, giving them the resources they need to win this war, and then move on to other topics.”
Trump campaign’s statement prior to speech: “When Biden gives his Oval Office address tonight, he is desperately hoping Americans will forget that it’s Biden himself who is responsible for these disasters. As America stumbles ever closer to World War III, Joe Biden is Neville Chamberlain trying to pose as Winston Churchill. He is an arsonist promising to rescue us from the world he set on fire.”
In other campaign news …
Dean’s decision: Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., has told some of his House colleagues that he plans to challenge Biden, Politico reports, citing “two people familiar with discussions.” But Politico also reports that a third person said Phillips “demurred” when asked if he was running.
War of words: The war between Israel and Hamas has sparked a clash between DeSantis and Haley, per NBC News’ Jonathan Allen and Matt Dixon.
Trump’s debate play: Donald Trump is once again planning to counterprogram the third GOP primary debate on Nov. 8 with his own event, NBC’s Jake Traylor reports.
Border politics: The New York Times explores the “remarkable unity” among the GOP presidential candidates when it comes to border security, consistently tying it to other issues, including the war between Israel and Hamas.
She’s not running: Newly appointed California Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler said Thursday that she will not run for a full term.
On the air: A group tied to the Democratic Governors Association is launching a new TV ad in the Kentucky governor’s race, shared first with NBC News, targeting GOP state Attorney General on health care and Medicaid.
Battle for the House: Fundraising reports filed this week shed new light on the fight for the House — here are five takeaways.
ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world:
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who has failed to be elected speaker in two floor votes in the House, met with lawmakers on Thursday who still oppose his bid for the speakership, but did not appear to make any progress. Another speaker vote is expected Friday morning.
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office dismissed charges against one of 16 people who allegedly claimed that Trump won the 2020 election there.
Muslim members of Congress are experiencing a spike in threats against them and one of these lawmakers, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., told NBC News she feels her life may be in danger.
