The White House supports Americans’ right to protest President Joe Biden’s Israel policies at his campaign events, according to White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton.
Earlier this week during a campaign event in Virginia, Biden was interrupted by hecklers who were protesting his policies toward Israel, Reuters reported.
“The president has talked about support for the First Amendment and the right of Americans to make their voices heard and to protest peacefully,” Dalton said. “He supports that, and he knows that this is an issue that is deeply personal to many, many Americans.”
Biden's views on Israel during the war
Biden has been clear about his views on Israel needing to defend itself and have what it needs to defend itself in the face of an existential threat, she said.
Biden’s talks with Israelis have been “deeply personal” about his heartbreak at the humanitarian toll in Gaza, she added.
Protests during campaign events are hard to predict, but they are nothing out of the ordinary for presidential candidates, Dalton said.