EXCLUSIVE: Top GOP candidates celebrate Israeli hostages' return, while key Democrats ignore Trump's success
"It’s truly pathetic that Democrats would rather celebrate fictitious holidays than celebrate a historic peace and hostages being reunited with their families thanks to President Trump’s leadership."
The world breathed a sigh of relief when President Donald Trump helped facilitate the return of the final living hostages in Gaza — among those celebrating were leading Senate GOP candidates across the country. But several leading Democrats ignored the news, and either boasted about their fundraising, celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day, or were altogether silent.
While upwards of 20 dead bodies are still held hostage by Hamas terrorists who have already violated Trump’s peace deal numerous times, Republicans were eager to celebrate the good news the week brought.
The contrast between the two parties was on clear display, as top Republican candidates in Iowa, Michigan, Georgia, and beyond both praised Trump for his work and celebrated the news.
In Iowa, for example, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R., Iowa) noted that “President Trump helped secure the release of the living hostages held by Hamas.” State Rep. Josh Turek, one of the Democrats challenging Hinson, spent the day talking with 15 voters, according to his social media account.
Maine is a state where the top Democrats in the race all glossed over the news from the Middle East. Both Gov. Janet Mills (D., Maine) and Graham Platner celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but made no mention of the hostages who were released.
But perhaps nowhere is the contrast with both parties — and even within the Democratic Party itself — greater than in Michigan. While Rep. Haley Stevens (D., Mich.) did release a brief statement celebrating the release of the 20 living Jews, her primary opponents Abdul El-Sayed and Mallory McMorrow ignored the news altogether.
Both El-Sayed and McMorrow falsely labeled Israel’s war of self-defense against Palestinian terrorists in Gaza as a “genocide.” Neither found the time to celebrate the hostages’ return home in exchange for Israel releasing convicted mass murderers. But El-Sayed did brag about his most recent fundraising quarter and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and McMorrow had the bandwidth to ask for support for her campaign online.
The fixation of many Democrats on Indigenous Peoples’ Day over the release of 20 hostages was quickly noticed by many Republicans.
“It’s truly pathetic that Democrats would rather celebrate fictitious holidays than celebrate a historic peace and hostages being reunited with their families thanks to President Trump’s leadership,” Chris Gustafson, the communications director for the Senate Leadership Fund, told the Reporter.
On the flip side, former Rep. Mike Rogers has the GOP field to himself and noted that “President Trump did what many thought was impossible” by securing the release of all of the living hostages held by Hamas.
Stevens was not the only Democrat running for Senate to celebrate the hostages’ freedom, however. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D., Ga.) even went so far as to praise the “Trump Administration and international partners” for making the deal possible.
But the trio of Republicans hoping to oust Ossoff were far more fulsome in their praise of the White House’s work. “It takes an outsider to not accept business as usual, and that’s the exact kind of leadership I’ll bring Georgia in the Senate,” former college football coach Derek Dooley noted, while praising Trump for his leadership.
Rep. Buddy Carter (R., Ga.) even went so far as to introduce another piece of legislation to finally secure the Nobel Peace Prize for Trump — and Rep. Mike Collins (R., Ga.) aptly noted that “they said [Trump would] start WWIII. They said he didn’t have the right team. They said it was impossible. But when others failed, President Trump got it done.”
Trump’s record of peace was a theme in remarks by Michael Whatley as well, who is running to succeed Sen. Thom Tillis (R., N.C.). “After 738 days, the Israeli hostages have been returned thanks to the tireless work of President Trump and his administration,” Whatley said. “May God Bless the Peacemakers and the people of Israel.”