Fox’s Ari Fleischer Asks: Did ‘Trump Save Hamas Leaders From Israel’s Attack’
(Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)
Fox News contributor Ari Fleischer wondered on Tuesday if President Donald Trump had actually saved Hamas’s leaders from Israel’s attack on Qatar earlier in the day – following a strongly worded statement from the White House disparaging the attack.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read a statement on the attack that read, “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals.”
“However, eliminating Hamas who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza is a worthy goal. President Trump immediately directed Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did. The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels very badly about the location of this attack,” Leavitt added during Tuesday’s briefing.
Multiple reporters asked follow-up questions on the statement, but Fleisher suggested one key question was missing:
What wasn’t asked about at today’s WH briefing:
Did Pres. Trump save Hamas leaders from Israel’s attack?
If Witkoff told the Qataris the attack was coming, did the Qataris tell Hamas to get out of the building in time?
On a day the WH said it was concerned about a criminal who carried out a murder in Charlotte, I sure hope POTUS did not save the lives of murderers in Qatar.
(It’s unclear now who has been killed. Hamas said Israel didn’t get everyone.)
Hamas released a statement following the attack, claiming that their leadership in Doha survived. “We confirm the enemy’s failure to assassinate our brothers in the negotiating delegation,” claimed the statement, adding that the strike “confirms beyond doubt that Netanyahu and his government do not want to reach any agreement” for peace.
The Qatari government, meanwhile, offered a somewhat different take on the timeline, “The statements being circulated about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance are baseless.”
“The communication received from one of the American officials came during the sound of explosions resulting from the Israeli attack in Doha,” a Qatari spokesperson said.
