Former Trump Staffer Claims Biden’s ‘Ransom’ Incentivized Hamas

You just knew the allegations were going to start to fly after Hamas launched its attack against Israel.

It did not take long for people to start pointing to the $6 billion in assets that Biden authorized South Korea to release to a bank in Qatar so Iran could have access to the funds.

The latest finger pointer is former Trump National Security Adviser Robert C. O'Brien.

Joe's Fault

O'Brien worked in the Trump administration as a special envoy for hostage affairs for almost two years, starting in 2018.

He was one of the primary negotiators securing Andrew Brunson's release from Turkey in 2018 and Danny Burch, an American oil worker in Yemen.

O'Brien posted on X, "While welcoming our Iran hostages home, I said at the time — paying ransom (eg unfreezing $6 billion) is problematic because it incentivizes new hostage-taking & gives terrorists money for new operations. I didn't think we would see these points illustrated so vividly, so quickly."

He has also called for the FBI Hostage Rescue Team and Joint Special Operations Command's hostage extraction forces to be called in to help secure the release of the American hostages taken by Hamas.

He added, "We now know [American citizens] have been taken by Hamas. Those teams should be airborne to the region now to be in a position to rescue our countrymen."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded to the reports of Americans being taken hostage, stating, "Any American anywhere who is being detained or held hostage, that is going to be a priority for this government, for this administration, and for me, but I don't want to get ahead of where we are. We have reports; we need to verify them."

This comes from the administration that promised not to leave Afghanistan until every American citizen was safe, then the last boot left the ground with more than 1,000 American citizens stuck behind enemy lines.

And before anyone starts pushing the Democrat narrative about that $6 billion only being used for Humanitarian aid, here is a word from the Iranian president…

"This money belongs to the Iranian people, the Iranian government, so the Islamic Republic of Iran will decide what to do with this money."

"Humanitarian means whatever the Iranian people need, so this money will be budgeted for those needs, and the needs of the Iranian people will be decided and determined by the Iranian government."