More than six months into the Israel-Hamas war, President Joe Biden's advisers and allies are worried that the conflict has undermined his claim that he is uniquely qualified to confront the global crisis.
They also worry that Biden's claims have galvanized his likely 2024 presidential opponent, former President Donald Trump.
According to Politico, those concerns played into the White House's decision in recent days to threaten Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a pullback of U.S. support if major changes are not enacted after the Israeli strike that left seven World Central Kitchen aid workers dead.
After months of frustration with Netanyahu's disregard of the Biden administration's counsel, the warning was an about-face and a sign that Biden's team has begun to feel the effects of the conflict in secondary political problems at home that threaten to dismantle his hopes for reelection.
Biden's handling of the war up until this week "has undermined one of his most important assets against Trump," Matt Duss, a former top foreign policy adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., now at the Center for International Policy, told Politico.
"Biden's reputation was — agree or disagree with him — he's a decent guy, he's an empathetic guy, he's an honest guy," Duss said. "But this policy has been a cruel policy."
Within hours of Biden's scolding over the World Central Kitchen strike, Israel agreed to open new humanitarian aid routes. The rapid response reportedly bolstered the argument of Democrats, who have pushed for the White House to adopt a more forceful stance with Israel.
"What this exchange shows is that when the president uses American leverage to enforce his demands, he gets results," Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., told Politico. "The United States will look feckless if we do not match our words with deeds."
In a statement, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said Biden's "significant experience, steady hand, relationships, and values have been critical as we manage tough foreign policy challenges in the Middle East and around the world."
"President Biden's leadership has secured important changes throughout the conflict and reduced volatility, which is the polar opposite of the result that other approaches suggested by critics on the right would have achieved," Bates said.
Support for Biden's reelection campaign is being eroded by images of the war in Gaza, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation has enraged an important segment of the president's base: young people, Arabs, Muslims, and progressives. With Biden now encountering protests nearly everywhere he travels, there is concern that the upcoming Democratic Convention will be marred by protests in the streets.
One senior adviser, who spoke with Politico on condition of anonymity, said that before Biden's phone call with Netanyahu, there was concern within his inner circle that his struggle to constrain the Israeli leader would damage his image of steady competence in the eyes of voters and elevate Trump's brasher approach.
Current and former Biden administration officials who spoke with Politico said that many within the administration have taken the long view with the president's approach, calculating that long-term regional stability may largely depend on Biden's ability to come out on top in a November rematch with Trump.
"What is going on in Gaza is unspeakable," Sanders said Thursday on the Pod Save America podcast when asked what he'd say to voters unsure about supporting Biden because of the war. "But all that I ask is let's not make a horrible situation even worse. Trump will be worse on this issue, let alone every other issue."