Harris condemns flag burning as ‘despicable,’ White House blames Iran

Vice President Kamala Harris has condemned Washington demonstrators who burned the American flag and supported Hamas during Netanyahu's visit, as despicable acts by unpatriotic individuals.

Thousands of protesters were rallying against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech before Congress on Wednesday when many protesters engaged in violent acts, burning the US flag and defacing monuments.

Netanyahu’s speech not only pinpointed Iran as the instigator of all the turmoil in the Middle East, but also made special note of the protesters. Referencing Iran’s role in promoting and funding protests in the US, he went further than Harris, calling the demonstrators “Iran’s useful idiots."

“That’s not a phrase we would use,” National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby told reports on Thursday, when asked to react to that characterization by Netanyahu. “We know that Iran certainly has tried to meddle here. They’ve tried to sow discord. They’ve obviously contributed to some funding of some protesters,” Kirby said.

Asked whether he would describe Wednesday’s protest near the Capitol as “pro-Palestinian, pro-Hamas or anti-Israel,” Kirby said it was “a little bit of all those things.”

Earlier this month, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s assessment said that Iran is attempting to covertly stoke protests in the United States related to the conflict in Gaza, posing as activists online and, in some cases, providing financial support to protesters.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio, meanwhile, took a tougher stance, urging other Senators to consider a resolution that would see visitors and foreign nationals on a visa who support Hamas in the US forced to leave the country.

“If you’re in the United States on a visa and vandalizing property with phrases like ‘Hamas is coming,’ it’s time for you to go,” Rubio said on X. At a critical moment in negotiations over a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, Vice President Harris had her meeting with Netanyahu – her first with a foreign leader since starting her presidential campaign.

Harris, who did not preside over Netanyahu’s speech, held a press conference after their meeting. While expressing support for Israel’s right to defend itself, she emphasized the importance of how Israel does so. Harris voiced her refusal to stay silent on the human suffering in Gaza, pointing to the tragic images of dead children and displaced, desperate civilians.

Reports suggest that the Israeli leader was upset by Harris’ statement, concerned it will harm negotiations over a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.

David Friedman, the US Ambassador to Israel during the Trump administration, also weighed in, taking to X to critique Harris' statement, accusing her of failing to condemn Hamas and instead offering generic statements about complexities, nuances, and peace.

Netanyahu, who met with President Joe Biden before his meeting with Harris, is also scheduled to meet with former President Donald Trump on Friday.