Andrea Mitchell Calls Out WH Spox for Repeatedly Dodging on Whether Biden Thinks Netanyahu Is ‘Obstacle to Peace’

MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell pressed White House spokesperson John Kirby multiple times on Friday about whether President Joe Biden believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an “obstacle to peace,” leading the anchor to call out Kirby for dodging giving a real answer.

Mitchell’s line of questioning followed Biden praising a speech by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) calling for new elections in Israel to find an alternative to Netanyahu amid the thousands of civilian deaths inside of Gaza amid Israel’s continued strikes. Netanyahu has vowed strikes will not end until Hamas is eliminated following their Oct. 7 attack against Israel, in which they took more than 1,000 lives and kidnapped hundreds.

Speaking with Kirby, Mitchell argued Biden’s reaction to Schumer’s speech was “clearly thought out” and appeared to be an endorsement. Biden said on Friday that Schumer gave a “good speech” and expressed concerns felt by many Americans.

The praise comes amid numerous calls among Democratic activists and lawmakers for Biden to support a full ceasefire. The president has backed Israel’s right to defend itself but has criticized the amount of civilian casualties and the lack of aid getting into Gaza.

Kirby told Mitchell:

The president has great respect for [Senate] Leader Schumer, as you know, Andrea, and he also has respect for the passion with which leader Schumer spoke yesterday, and he knows where it’s coming from when it comes to Chuck Schumer, and he knows that the sentiments that Leader Schumer expressed in that very passionate speech yesterday are shared by many, many Americans. The president, for his part, is going to keep working as he has been with Prime Minister Netanyahu and that war cabinet that you talked about just a couple of seconds ago to make sure more assistance can get in and we can do better to alleviate the suffering of the Gazan people. We know Israel has a right to defend themselves, and we’re willing continue to help them do that, but they have a special obligation to take care of the innocent civilians, and we’re going to keep talking to them about that too.

Mitchell pushed again specifically on whether Biden agreed with Schumer’s assessment that Netanyahu is an “obstacle” to peace in the region.

“The president had a choice about the words he would use,” Mitchell said. “By calling it a good speech and saying that he understands Chuck Schumer, [he] has respect for him and understands Chuck Schumer’s passion, views of many Americans being represented — does he agree with those views that Prime Minister Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace?”

“The president knows that the Israeli people get to determine who their elected government representatives are,” Kirby said.

He claimed Biden and Netanyahu have “no problem being honest with one another” and insisted the president will continue to be “candid and forthright.”

“That is in private and of course those differences have been expressed by others and by Secretary [Antony] Blinken,” Mitchell said. “Does the president of the United States think that the prime minister of Israel is an obstacle to peace?”

Kirby repeated much of his talking points, saying the president will continue working with Israeli officials to “alleviate” the suffering of the Gazan people stuck in the middle of a war.

“We have been honest, Andrea, that there have been times in the not too distant past here, in recent days, where we don’t believe that the Israelis have done as much as they can do and should do to increase the level of trucks getting into gaza, that There have been obstacles to moving forward in terms of getting them the food, the water, the medicine, the fuel they need. We have been very, very frank about that,” Kirby said.

Mitchell moved on, but not before noting for viewers that the same question had been asked three times and there had not been an answer given.

“Let me just say that that answer — that question was not answered three times,” she said. “That’s all right. That was your answer.”

Watch above via MSNBC.