南卡罗来纳州参议员蒂姆·斯科特周日为他最近的指控进行了辩护，他指责拜登总统在本月早些时候哈马斯对以色列的恐怖袭击后“双手沾满了鲜血”。这引发了一场更大范围的战争.
斯科特出现在美国广播公司的“本周”节目中2024年共和党总统候选人提名在10月10日的一次活动中，联合主播乔纳森·卡尔(Jonathan Karl)就他对总统的尖锐批评向他施压，卡尔表示，这与斯科特竞选活动的典型基调不符。
“你后悔这么说吗?”卡尔问道。
“事实上，我不知道，”斯科特说。“毫无疑问，我是个快乐的战士。但我们现在正处于一场冲突之中，所以我内心的战士需要从最高层开始承担责任。”
斯科特一直直言不讳地批评美国此前同意释放约60亿美元的伊朗石油收入，以释放五名美国被拘留者。
这项协议是在伊朗支持的哈马斯于10月7日袭击以色列之前达成的。此后，以色列对哈马斯控制的巴勒斯坦领土加沙发动了全面的军事入侵。
斯科特告诉卡尔:“当60亿美元的结果导致中东更多冲突时，不要感到惊讶。”。
拜登上周在冲突期间前往以色列，并一再表示支持该国。白宫还为解冻给伊朗的资金进行了辩护，称这笔资金完全用于人道主义目的，并将接受监督。
然而，在保守派和一些民主党人的强烈抗议下，美国同意重新冻结这笔钱在花掉之前。
斯科特，连同其他22名共和党人和一名独立议员，上周提出了一项法案，永久冻结伊朗的资金。
“我非常明确地表示，美国总统的软弱，加上谈判，通过与世界上头号恐怖主义支持者谈判，导致了恐怖袭击——是的，这造成了共谋，”他在“本周”节目中说。
卡尔接着说:“但我想我们可以同意，血是在哈马斯的手上。这就是发生的事情的责任所在。”
以色列官员说，哈马斯的袭击造成1400多人死亡。
斯科特承认武装分子负有直接责任，但他加倍批评白宫。
2023年10月20日，新罕布什尔州康科德的新罕布什尔州议会，参议员蒂姆·斯科特在签署文件参加共和党总统初选投票后与记者交谈
迈克尔·德怀尔/美联社
他说:“扣动扳机的人是主要责任人，但这并不意味着我们国家的总统是我们所看到的事情的同谋和责任人。”。
他还说，他对拜登政府起草的一项新的对外援助提案有异议。
奥巴马总统周四向国会提交了1050亿美元的一揽子计划，其中约140亿美元将用于以色列，600亿美元将用于乌克兰。斯科特告诉卡尔，他不会支持这项立法，因为它“目前正在构建中”
相反，白宫的请求应该分开，他说。
“以色列正处于一场漫长而持久的战争的开端，”他说。“我认为，作为一个国家，我们的情况会好得多，我们会更好地服务，立即将我们的资源和注意力集中在以色列，并继续提供美国人民希望看到的那种问责和责任，因为这与乌克兰的资源有关。”
一些共和党人认为，用于帮助乌克兰抵御俄罗斯入侵的资金可以更好地用于国内安全和其他优先事项。
拜登政府试图安抚保守派，将140亿美元用于边境管理作为新的对外援助提案的一部分。
斯科特周日表示，应该更加关注抵达南部边境的移民数量增加带来的潜在国家安全风险。
在中东，随着美国寻求支持以色列，同时推动限制与其他国家的紧张局势，斯科特说，应该有一个主要的优先事项。
“我们需要做的是确保我们把责任推到它应该受到的地方，那就是伊朗。我们需要发出最明确的信息，如果我们看到更多美国人死亡，坦率地说，这是伊朗的责任。
“毫无疑问，中东局势的升级似乎就发生在我们眼前，”他说，呼应了其他美国官员的观点。
斯科特说，除了协助以色列在加沙打击哈马斯之外，美国还应该采取措施，限制黎巴嫩武装分子在以色列北部的活动。
“但是在两个不同的边界上打一场战争将是我们应该关注的事情，”他说。“我们应该向真主党发出信息，下台，否则后果自负。”
Tim Scott defends claim that Biden has 'blood on his hands' after Hamas' terror attack
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott on Sunday defended his recent accusation that President Joe Biden has "blood on his hands" after Hamas' terror attack on Israel earlier this month,which has spurred a wider war.
Appearing on ABC's "This Week," Scott, who is seekingthe 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was pressed by co-anchor Jonathan Karl on his sharply worded criticism of the president during an event on Oct. 10, which Karl said didn't match the typical tone of Scott's campaign.
"Do you regret saying that?" Karl asked.
"I don't, actually," Scott said. "I'm a happy warrior, without any question. But we are now in the midst of a conflict, and so the warrior in me requires responsibility to start at the top."
Scott has been a vocal critic of the U.S. previously agreeing to release some $6 billion in Iranian oil revenue in order to free five American detainees.
That deal was arranged before Hamas, which is sponsored by Iran, attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Israel has since launched a sweeping military invasion on neighboring Gaza, the Palestinian territory Hamas controls.
"Do not be surprised when the result of that $6 billion leads to more conflict in the Middle East," Scott told Karl.
Biden traveled to Israel last week amid the conflict and has repeatedly voiced his support for the country. The White House has also defended the money that was to be unblocked for Iran, saying it was solely designated for humanitarian purposes and would be supervised.
However, amid outcry from conservatives and some Democrats, the U.S.agreed to essentially re-freeze the moneybefore any of it was spent.
Scott, along with 22 other Republicans and one independent lawmaker, last week introduced a bill to permanently refreeze the Iranian funds.
"I'm saying with great clarity that weakness from the American president, plus the negotiations, leading to terrorist attacks by negotiating with the No. 1 state sponsor of terrorism in the world -- yes, it creates complicity," he said on "This Week."
Karl followed up: "But I think we can agree that the blood is on the hands of Hamas. That's who is to blame for what happened."
Israeli officials say the Hamas attacks killed more than 1,400.
Scott conceded that the militants bore immediate responsibility but doubled down on his criticism of the White House.
"The person who pulls the trigger is primarily responsible, but that does not release the president of our country as being complicit and responsible in what we're seeing," he said.
He also said that he had issues with a new foreign aid proposal drafted by the Biden administration.
The president on Thursday sent Congress a $105 billion package, with about $14 billion going to Israel and $60 billion going to Ukraine. Scott told Karl that he would not support that legislation as it is "currently constructed."
Instead, the White House's request should be split up, he said.
"Israel is at the beginning of a long, protracted war," he said. "I think we are much better off, better served as a nation, focusing our resources and our attention immediately on Israel and continuing to provide the kind of level of accountability and responsibility the American people want to see as it relates to the resources for Ukraine. "
Some Republicans argue that the money spent to aid Ukraine in defending against Russia's invasion could be better used on domestic security and other priorities.
In a move seen as an attempt to appease conservatives, the Biden administration included an ask for $14 billion to go to border management as part of the new foreign aid proposal.
Scott said Sunday that there should be a bigger focus on the potential national security risks from the increased number of migrants arriving at the southern border.
In the Middle East, as the U.S. seeks to support Israel while pushing to limit rising tensions with other countries, Scott said there should be one major priority.
"What we need to do is make sure that we put the blame where it belongs, and that's on Iran. We need to send the clearest message that if we see the death of more Americans, that that is on the shoulders, frankly, and in the hands of Iran," he said.
"There's no doubt that the escalation in the Middle East seems to be happening before our very eyes," he said, echoing the view of other American officials.
In addition to assisting Israel in its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, the U.S. should take steps to limit the involvement of Lebanese militants to Israel's north, Scott said.
"But fighting a war on two different borders is going to be something we should keep our eyes on," he said. "And we should send the message to Hezbollah, stand down or there will be consequences."
