LARRY KUDLOW: Iran is the financier and puppeteer for the Hamas barbarians

President Joe Biden deserves credit. I've given him credit several times for his strong support of Israel. His rhetoric has been solid, and he wants a budget funding deal to replenish Israel's Iron Dome and other munitions and military needs, but now, in the beginning of the third week of this crisis, the big question is: has Joe Biden gone wobbly?   

The air is filled with rumors that Biden is holding back the IDF ground invasion, questions if Biden's team is negotiating some kind of temporary cease-fire for hostages. Take a listen to this Biden statement just a few moments ago:   

JOE BIDEN: "We should get, we should have a ceasefire, not a ceasefire, we should have those hostages released and then we can talk."  

So, let me get this right. The president is saying we should have those hostages released and then we can talk. Talk about what? We should have the hostages released and then the IDF free to annihilate Hamas or, much better in my view, we should free the IDF to annihilate Hamas and then Hamas will release the hostages.  That would be a sign of strength. 

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That's what a Reagan would do. That's what a Trump would do.Bomb first to show strength and respond to what the barbaric terrorists have already done.  Remember, Trump bombed Syria while he and China President Xi were having chocolate cake for dessert at Mar-a-Lago. Remember, Trump took out Soleimani and Iran whimpered.  Now, speaking of going wobbly, here's Biden spokesman John Kirby:   

JOHN KIRBY: "We know Iran continues to support Hamas and Hezbollah, and we know that Iran is closely monitoring these events and, in some cases, actively facilitating these attacks and spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict for their own good or for that of Iran. We know Iran's goal is to maintain some level of deniability here, but we're not going to allow them to do that."  

Well, Mr. Kirby, please show us how you're not going to allow that?  What exactly is the Biden administration going to do about Iran? Iran is the financier, the puppeteer, for the Hamas barbarians and their near cousins Hezbollah and all these other terrorist groups in the Middle East.   

Mr. Kirby and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have finally acknowledged that Iran is the problem, but they're not doing anything about this problem and, incidentally, the Iranian puppets are attacking the United States military, in Iraq, in Syria, and our navy.  Fortunately, our military stopped them. Shot down their drones and the cruise missiles, but this is war against the United States and Hamas has killed over 30 Americans and taken ten or a dozen hostage. These are acts of war.   

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Where is Joe Biden's red line?  When will the U.S. strike back?  When will President Biden stop appeasing Iran, and start some deterrence against Iran.  When, pray tell? At a minimum, the U.S. should be interdicting and impounding all Iranian ships that carry oil, or drones, or whatever.  Draw a "red line" on the sanctions.   

Close the Iranian banks with any access to the West. Stop Iranian business activities. Sink Iranian naval boats if need be.  Right now, President Biden is undermining his own support for Israel and the catastrophe of October 7.  Words are meaningless. Actions are everything.  Stop appeasing Iran and start deterring them from their evil ways.   

This article is adapted from Larry Kudlow’s opening commentary on the October 23, 2023, edition of "Kudlow."