- Biden was harassed by protesters at a health care event in North Carolina
- Heckler was heard shouting about health care in Gaza
- It’s the latest in a number of interruptions Biden has faced from people shouting about the war in Gaza and a ceasefire at his events.
President Biden was interrupted by pro-Palestinian hecklers on Tuesday during his visit to North Carolina, the latest in a series of interruptions the 81-year-old president and other administration officials have faced during the war in Gaza in recent months.
Biden was in Raleigh to talk about health care during his trip to the battleground state when a woman started yelling at him.
‘What about healthcare in Gaza? What about healthcare in Gaza?’ the woman was heard shouting as the president looked into the crowd.
“Everyone deserves health care,” the president said after a brief silence.
Then you hear the woman shout: ‘Hospitals in Gaza are being bombed.’
Several other hecklers could also be heard shouting.
As the shouting continued, Biden said “be patient with them.”
“They have a point, we need to bring a lot more care to Gaza,” Biden responded to applause.
President Biden gives a speech in Raleigh, NC on March 26, 2024. He was there to discuss healthcare with Vice President Kamala Harris when he was interrupted by a heckler shouting about Gaza
A woman could be seen shouting at Biden during his speech in Raleigh as she was escorted out. The president said: ‘be patient with them’
People inspect damage and try to get items from their homes on March 26 in Rafah, Gaza, after an Israeli airstrike
After a while, Biden said “back to the topic” and continued his remarks as planned.
The president’s visit focused on the health care days following the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.
But Biden, 81, is being pursued by hecklers who have shouted at him at multiple events across the country in recent months about Israel’s war in Gaza.
In January, the president appeared confused when he was heckled during a stop in Pennsylvania.
During another speech in Illinois, the president had to deal with a heckler who shouted at him to call for a ceasefire.
Biden has struggled to deal with the fallout from US support for Israel in its war since Hamas carried out a deadly terror attack on October 7.
Biden will arrive in Raleigh on March 26 to participate in events
Biden and Harris were in North Carolina on Tuesday to discuss health care, just days after the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act
Progressives have rejected the US position and called for a ceasefire for months. They have also cut funding to Israel as it has decimated parts of Gaza in an ongoing campaign against Hamas in response to the attack.
In recent weeks, Biden has become more critical of far-right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he faces political fallout over support for Israel in the midst of an election year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that he has canceled a visit by his officials to Washington in protest against a UN Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
The resolution passed 14-0 after the United Nations abstained on Monday
While Biden has said he would never leave Israel and continued to push for funding for the close US ally, Biden said earlier this month that Netanyahu was “hurting Israel,” killing so many civilians in Gaza.
Tensions escalated on Monday when Netanyahu said he would not send a high-level delegation to Washington after the US withheld its veto of a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during the month of Ramadan.
The US had previously vetoed three resolutions calling for an end to the war in Gaza.
US officials have said they are concerned about Israel’s plans to launch a major ground offensive in Rafah, where about half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have taken shelter.
The White House emphasized that the abstention does not mean the US position has changed and called the cancellation of the trip “very disappointing.”