Progressive heavy hitters Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) were notably measured in their assessment of President Donald Trump’s role in the recent Middle East ceasefire and hostage release, during a Wednesday town hall conversation hosted by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
While acknowledging the significance of the hostage release, both lawmakers hesitated to offer the president unqualified credit for the development.
Pressed repeatedly by Collins on whether President Trump deserved commendation for securing the release of Israeli hostages, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez conceded, “In this particular development, yes.” However, she quickly added a caveat: “But we also know that President Trump was an obstacle to peace previously, as well.”
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Ocasio-Cortez framed the moment as a “tremendous accomplishment” and a “profound and important moment,” while simultaneously raising concerns about the ceasefire’s longevity, noting that “there’s already indications and questions about whether this ceasefire will hold.”
Sen. Sanders, on the other hand, expressed being “annoyed” by the focus on assigning credit. He shifted the spotlight to the broader devastation in Gaza and American foreign policy.
“This is not a time for credit,” Sanders stated, instead calling for a moment to “think about American policy.” He criticized the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure and the “tens of billions of dollars” provided to Israel’s government, which he claimed “have been starving children.”
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The Vermont Senator added, “Israel had a right to defend itself. They were attacked by a terrorist group. They did not have a right to go into an all-out war against women and children in Gaza.”
The conversation highlighted the deep political divide surrounding the President’s diplomatic victories, even as the ceasefire and hostage releases offered a glimmer of hope in the protracted conflict.
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