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Speaker Mike Johnson has criticized President Biden after he threatened to withhold weapons from Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proceeded with an invasion into Rafah in southern Gaza.
Johnson voiced his concerns in an upcoming episode of Politico’s “Playbook Deep Dive“ podcast. He expressed hopes that Biden’s remarks were unintentional, suggesting it might have been a “senior moment“ and not reflective of official US policy.

During the interview, Johnson reflected on Biden’s comments made in a CNN interview, where the President indicated a halt in the supply of offensive weapons to Israel if their forces entered Rafah. This statement came as a shock to Johnson, who just a day earlier was reassured by top administration officials of continued support to Israel, contrary to what Biden had publicly stated. Speaker Johnson said, “Wow, that is a complete turn from what I have been told even in, you know, recent hours.”
Johnson further explained his disappointment, noting that before supporting the $95 billion emergency foreign aid package for Israel, he had received firm commitments from the administration that there would be no halt in weapon deliveries. These reassurances were given both in writing and verbally, affirming no delays in weapons shipments necessary for Israel’s defense.
Despite the initial concerns raised by Biden’s comments, Johnson said he was later assured by the White House that the reported delays were related to earlier batches of weapons and were not connected to the recent supplemental aid package approved by Congress.