Following a primetime address from the Oval Office in which President Biden addressed the killing of 6-year-old Plainfield boy Wadea Alfayoumi in a hate crime, officials revealed the President and First Lady spoke to Wadea's family.
White House officials confirmed that after the address, in which Biden called the boy both a proud American and proud Palestinian, adding that the nation "can't stand by when things like this happen."
The President and First Lady spoke to both Wadea's father and uncle after the address, expressing condolences to the Alfayoumi family while adding that they were praying for the full recovery of Wadea's mother Hannan Shahin, who was critically wounded in the attack.
According to the White House, the President expressed his office's commitment to combat "anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim hate and violence."
In the rare address, Biden called American support for Israel and Ukraine "vital" for the nation's security.
Biden added that while Hamas and Vladimir Putin "represent different threats," the two share an ambition to "completely annihilate a neighboring democracy.”
The address comes ahead of a security package that is expected to be unveiled Friday that include military aid to both Israel and Ukraine, while also including funding for Taiwan.
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“It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations," Biden said.
Biden hopes that combining all of these issues into one piece of legislation will create the necessary political coalition for congressional approval. His speech comes the day after his high-stakes trip to Israel, where he showed solidarity with the country in its battle against Hamas and pushed for more humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
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Ahead of his address, Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stress that the U.S. remained committed to backing Kyiv, the White House said. And a senior White House official said Biden continued to develop his remarks on Thursday after working with close aides throughout the week, including on his flight home from Israel. The official declined to be identified ahead of the president's speech.
