On Sunday morning, Vice President JD Vance took aim at NBC News, charging the network with overlooking Israelis who were celebrating President Donald Trump’s role in brokering a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas.
During NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Vance stated that he had watched NBC’s broadcast showing demonstrators in Israel jeering when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s name was brought up at a rally — while failing to highlight that the crowd applauded when Trump’s name was mentioned.
Vance commented, “But I also have to express my disappointment with your network, Kristen, because last night while watching NBC’s coverage of this, they noted that during a rally in Israel, the crowd booed when Steve Witkoff, our special envoy, mentioned Bibi Netanyahu. However, the broadcast omitted that when Steve Witkoff mentioned President Trump, the crowd actually cheered.”
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U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner delivered remarks at a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, in support of the hostages still held by Hamas ahead of their anticipated release on Monday.
Last week, Trump and his team announced that they had negotiated a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, which they claimed would bring an end to the war and secure the release of all remaining hostages — two years after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
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According to Israeli authorities, the living hostages are expected to be freed in a single phase within a 72-hour period. While the return of the bodies of deceased hostages will require more time, Israel insists on their inclusion in the agreement.
Speakers and attendees at the Tel Aviv rally celebrated the agreement. Nevertheless, the crowd voiced their disapproval of Netanyahu when Witkoff acknowledged his involvement in the negotiations.
As the booing persisted, Witkoff stated, “OK, allow me to finish my point. I was working closely with the prime minister. Believe me, he played a significant role here.”
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The crowd responded with cheers when Witkoff mentioned Trump’s name later in his speech.
Vance informed Welker that he observed NBC’s coverage had left out the cheers for Trump, and he clarified why he believed the former president deserved praise from the crowd in Tel Aviv.
“And why is that, Kristen? Why did the crowd cheer? Because this achievement was the result of very deliberate and impactful diplomacy from the president and his entire administration.”
