WATCH: White House holds news briefing as Israel threatens response to Iranian attack PBS NewsHour

Table Of Content

• Zelensky: Biden and I discussed how to increase Ukraine's strength going into 2024
• Pelosi urges all members to attend Zelenskyy address
• Biden ‘doesn’t believe’ that Iran attack ‘needs’ to escalate into wider war, White House official says
• War in Ukraine
• David Pecker testimony at Trump trial reveals the seedy underbelly of his tabloid journalism
• Biden imposes new sanctions on Iran after drone and missile attack on Israel

After his meetings at the White House, Zelenskyy left for Capitol Hill, where he was set to meet with congressional leaders and address a joint meeting of Congress. Austin spoke with Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defense minister, earlier on Saturday to discuss the urgent regional threats in the Middle East and “reiterated unwavering US support for Israel’s defense”, according to the Pentagon. Biden soon after made public that Israel had not shared its intentions with the US and said he had not had prior knowledge of the strike in Syria, signaling that, in addition to Israel’s blockade on Gaza provoking famine, US influence over Israel has limits.

Zelensky: Biden and I discussed how to increase Ukraine's strength going into 2024

"Our position is that Hamas should not be allowed a safe haven in Rafah or anywhere else, but a major ground operation there would be a mistake," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at the White House briefing where he outlined the leaders' conversation. "My father, Congressman Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., was a Member of the House in 1941 when Winston Churchill came to the Congress on the day after Christmas to enlist our nation's support in the fight against tyranny in Europe," she wrote. "Eighty-one years later this week, it is particularly poignant for me to be present when another heroic leader addresses the Congress in a time of war — and with Democracy itself on the line."

Pelosi urges all members to attend Zelenskyy address

The officials said Iran passed word to the U.S. while the attack was unfolding late Saturday that what was seen was the totality of their response. The message was sent through the Swiss government since the two countries don’t have direct diplomatic ties. White House officials said Biden was told in advance of Schumer’s speech but that no one in the administration coordinated with the senator on them. Yet Biden’s own comments last weekend may have laid the groundwork for Schumer’s public statement. The Biden administration set a March 24 deadline for Israel to provide written assurance, followed by U.S. government review, that its use of American weapons is in accordance with international law. Failing to comply could force the issue of military support and potentially push the longtime alliance into new territory.

Biden ‘doesn’t believe’ that Iran attack ‘needs’ to escalate into wider war, White House official says

Shortly before Zelenskyy arrived, the State Department unveiled a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $1.85 billion, bringing the total military aid sent to Ukraine to $22 billion. In a first, the U.S. is sending the Ukrainians a Patriot missile battery, a sophisticated air defense system that can repel Russian missiles and aircraft. The new package also includes hundred of thousands of mortars and artillery shells, dozens of armored vehicles and specialized kits that greatly enhance the effectiveness and accuracy of bombs dropped from fighter jets. Zelenskyy's visit to Washington was his first known trip outside Ukraine in the 300 days since the Russian invasion began.

White House Report Card: Biden drives his approval rating into a ditch - Washington Examiner

White House Report Card: Biden drives his approval rating into a ditch.

Posted: Sat, 27 Apr 2024 13:18:25 GMT [source]

It was reported on Israeli television that Iran had launched more than 100 drones as well as cruise missiles towards Israel, and Iran later said it had fired a “first wave” of ballistic missiles. It was the Islamic Republic’s first-ever direct attack on the Jewish state, a development that brings the two countries to the brink of all-out conflict after more than a decade of shadow war and soaring stress six months into Israel’s war in Gaza following the Hamas attack last October. Trump's presidential campaign sent reporters a “readout” of his meeting with Aso — itself a mirror of how presidents summarize meetings with foreign leaders — and included the photo below. Trump never seemed to consider his occupation of the White House as transitory any more than he considered the presidency in that way. He looked at both as though they were pieces of property that had come into his possession and that he could only lose if he chose to do so. Because the White House belongs to the American public, not any particular politician, presidents had for years been careful about keeping electoral politics out of the building.

Schumer on Zelenskyy's visit: "This is a day to remember" in history of Congress

This was done to link the new portico with the earlier carved roses above the entrance. Administration officials said the call demonstrated that despite differences over the war in Gaza, the U.S. commitment to Israel’s defense was “ironclad” and that the U.S. would mount a similar effort again if needed. U.S. officials said that despite the high interception rate, Iran’s intent was to “destroy and cause casualties” and that if successful, the strikes would have caused an “uncontrollable” escalation across the Mideast.

Israeli authorities said 99 percent of the inbound weapons were shot down without causing any significant damage. Schumer’s remarks on the Senate floor highlighted divisions within the Democratic Party that will be difficult for the president to navigate as he campaigns for a second term. His position is likely to embolden progressives who want to see it backed up by a meaningful shift in U.S. policy toward Israel, specifically using leverage by withholding aid and weapons transfers unless the Netanyahu government changes course. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the highest-ranking Jewish U.S. official, said in a speech on the Senate floor that Netanyahu has “lost his way” and called for new elections to replace him and his far-right governing coalition. Biden’s relationship with Netanyahu has been on shaky ground for months as he faces pressure from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party over U.S. support for Israel as tens of thousands of Palestinians have died in Gaza.

White House plans to limit Biden's graduation speeches as campuses erupt in protests

WASHINGTON — White House national security spokesman John Kirby insisted the the U.S. abstaining from a U.N. Resolution on Gaza cease-fire, allowing the resolution to pass, was not a change in American policy. “I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” Biden said in his statement after the call. Central Command and European Command forces destroyed more than 80 attack drones and at least six ballistic missiles intended to strike Israel from Iran and Yemen. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre held a news briefing as the U.S. urged deescalation after it helped to thwart an attack by Iran on Israel.

Biden imposes new sanctions on Iran after drone and missile attack on Israel

In addition to the Presidential Bedroom Suite, the second floor includes historic spaces, such as the Queens’ Bedroom, the Treaty Room, the Yellow Oval Room, the Center Hall, and the East and West Sitting Rooms. The White House has undergone many renovations throughout its history, starting with Thomas Jefferson, who, along with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, added the East and West Colonnades, which now link the East and West Wings with the Executive Residence. On August 24, 1814, British troops marched on Washington, DC, and burned the White House, the Capitol, and several other public buildings. Hoban returned to rebuild the residence, and while work was completed in 1817, he continued to work on additions for several more years.

R Adm Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesperson, had earlier said that Iran launched the new offensive late on Saturday. And the US embassy in Jerusalem told all US government employees to shelter in place until further notice, according to a security alert posted on Saturday. Mayors give out keys to their cities to noteworthy individuals as a symbolic gesture, but it seems safe to say that they generally stop doing so once they leave office.

Today, we answered history’s call at this critical inflection point.With the signing of our national security package, we tell the world that America stands resolutely for democracy and freedom, and against tyranny and oppression. The US House of Representatives will make a change in its schedule to consider legislation that supports Israel and holds Iran accountable, the House majority leader, Steve Scalise, said in a statement on Saturday. Nevertheless, the United States military and Jordanian fighter jets shot down some Iranian drone aircraft, officials said. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. It is not the case that presidents can simply grant other people lifetime access to the White House.

Biden said in a recent interview with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart that an invasion of Rafah by the Israel Defense Forces would be a “red line” for him, though he said he would never leave Israel’s side. Notably, Sullivan said U.S. officials now expect that Israel wouldn't invade Rafah until that conversation takes place. The meeting will be an opportunity for the U.S. "to lay out an alternative approach that would target key Hamas elements in Rafah and secure the Egypt-Gaza border without a major ground invasion," he added. During the call, Biden asked Netanyahu to send to Washington “a senior interagency team composed of military, intelligence and humanitarian officials” in the coming days to hear U.S. concerns about an invasion of Rafah, Sullivan said.

The White House was aiming to talk to the Israelis about possible alternatives to a ground invasion of Rafah, but Kirby would not get into specifics. He said he would not discuss whether the U.S. would consider withholding support if the Israelis were to proceed. The push to encourage Israel to show restraint mirrored ongoing American efforts to curtail Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which is now in its seventh month, and to do more to protect civilian lives in the territory.