Biden postpones trip to Colorado as Israel-Hamas conflict intensifies
President Joe Biden has postponed a trip to Colorado to stay in Washington and focus on the growing conflict in the Middle East
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden postponed a trip to Colorado on Monday to stay in Washington and focus on the growing conflict in the Middle East, setting aside an opportunity to pitch his economic accomplishments as he runs for reelection.
Biden had been heading to the district of Rep. Lauren Boebert, where he was to visit CS Wind, the world's largest facility for wind tower manufacturing. But the White House said just a few hours before Biden was set to take off for the trip that it would be rescheduled.
Instead, Biden is expected to hold a series of high-level meetings with aides on Israel and the growing humanitarian concerns in Gaza. The Democratic president is weighing a decision to visit the region in what would be a striking symbol of support for Israel following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,400 Israelis.
More than 2,300 Palestinians have died in the ensuing Israeli bombardment of Gaza, which is bracing for a ground invasion. At least 30 U.S. citizens have also died, and 13 remain missing, the State Department says.
It’s rare for presidential travel, which is meticulously planned for security and logistical purposes, to be called off at the last minute. Biden's decision reflects the competing pressure that he faces as he tries to manage bloody conflicts in Ukraine, where the Russian invasion is in its second year, and now the Middle East, always one of the world's most combustible regions.
There are concerns that a second front could open in Israel's north, which neighbors the Hezbollah-controlled territory in Lebanon's south. There have already been reports of
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