Amidst the intensifying Israel-Hamas conflict, President Joe Biden postponed his scheduled trip to Colorado, prioritizing the escalating situation in the Middle East over domestic engagements. The shifting of priorities underlines the administration’s challenges as it grapples with domestic and international crises.
The White House announced that President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris convened a meeting with notable figures such as Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser; Avril Haines, the national intelligence director; and Bill Burns, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency. Chief of Staff Jeff Zients was also present.
President Biden’s itinerary initially included a visit to the district of Rep. Lauren Boebert, where he intended to tour CS Wind, touted as the world’s premier facility for wind tower manufacturing. However, with Israel potentially gearing up for a ground invasion of Gaza and the humanitarian situation there deteriorating rapidly, plans changed just hours before the President departed.
The events of October 7, where a Hamas attack led to the death of over 1,400 Israelis, are deeply concerning. Additionally, the Israeli bombardment of Gaza has resulted in the loss of over 2,300 Palestinian lives, and the State Department has reported the death of at least 30 U.S. citizens, with 13 still unaccounted for.
President Biden is not unfamiliar with last-minute changes to his travel plans. Earlier in the year, planned visits to Papua New Guinea and Australia following the G7 meeting in Japan were cancelled due to the debt ceiling standoff in Washington. Such instances underscore the continuous collision of domestic and foreign policy priorities for the Biden administration.
The President had hoped to use the scheduled trip to counter Rep. Boebert’s criticism of the Inflation Reduction Act, a centrepiece of his domestic legislation. Boebert had termed the law “a massive failure” that “needs to be repealed.” Contrarily, Biden highlighted the legislation’s success by pointing to CS Wind’s $200 million expansion, projected to produce 850 jobs by 2026, thanks to the law’s tax benefits.
Meanwhile, chaos reigns in Congress, especially among the House Republicans. Following the ousting of Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California as their speaker, the party has yet to determine a suitable replacement, with Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, a noted Donald Trump ally, emerging as the potential candidate.
Despite boasting low unemployment rates and decelerating inflation, President Biden still faces challenges in convincing the American public of the efficacy of his economic policies. A recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that merely 36% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s financial strategy. This number has remained relatively static over the past eighteen months.
However, Biden remains optimistic, as evident from his recent visit to a marine terminal in Philadelphia. During this trip, he declared the location one of the seven regional hubs dedicated to hydrogen fuel production and delivery. “I truly believe this country is about to take off,” President Biden remarked. “For the first time in a long time, we’re investing in America.”