Vice President Kamala Harris delivered strong criticism of former President Donald Trump's recent comments encouraging Russia to attack NATO allies who fail to meet financial commitments. Speaking in an interview on MSNBC's The Weekend during her attendance at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Harris expressed concern over a sitting or former U.S. president bowing down to a Russian dictator.
Harris denounced Trump's remarks, made at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where he suggested that Russia should invade NATO allies that are behind on their financial contributions. The Biden White House had previously labeled these remarks as "appalling and unhinged."
"The idea that the former president of the US would say that he encourages a brutal dictator to invade our allies, and that the United States of America would simply stand by and watch," Harris stated. "No previous US president, regardless of their party, has bowed down to a Russian dictator before."
In addition to her criticism of Trump's stance on Russia, Harris addressed House Republicans' delay in approving the Biden administration's $95 billion foreign military aid package, which includes funds for Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion. She called for Congress to act and emphasized the need for bipartisan support to demonstrate the United States' stance on supporting allies facing extreme brutality.
While expressing optimism about the package's bipartisan support in the Senate, Harris urged a vote in the House. Despite the Senate's approval, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has yet to allow a vote, and the House is currently in recess.
Regarding President Biden's tougher approach to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly in light of the military operations in Rafah, Harris emphasized the need for Israel to defend itself responsibly, taking concrete steps to protect innocent Palestinian civilians. However, she did not commit to restricting or halting weapons supplies to Israel if Netanyahu proceeded without ensuring civilian safety, stating that no such decision had been made at this point. Harris expressed concern for the displaced Palestinian population and the potential humanitarian impact of continued military operations in Rafah.