US President Donald Trump hosted a second Hanukkah celebration at the White House on Tuesday night, marking the festival’s third night with political allies, Jewish community leaders, and Holocaust survivors.
Trump opened his remarks with a call for “love and prayers” for Australia after the massacre at a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which left at least 15 dead and dozens wounded.
“Let me take a moment to send the love and prayers to our entire nation, to the people of Australia, and especially all those affected by the horrific and antisemitic terrorist attack… that took place on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney,” he said, calling it “a terrible, terrible thing.”
“We’re joined in mourning all of those who were killed, and we’re praying for the swift recovery of the wounded,” Trump continued, noting that some victims were “very horrifically wounded.” He insisted that “all nations must stand together against the evil forces of radical Islamic terrorism, and we’re doing that,” framing the Sydney attack as part of a wider global struggle.
Trump turned to the Hamas atrocities of October 7 and the growing phenomenon of people denying what happened. “How about October 7th?” he asked. “And then you have people that deny it ever happened. How about the people that deny, like they deny the Holocaust?”
He described having seen harrowing classified footage of the attacks, saying, “There’s no denying it,” and warning that some now claim “the tape was rigged” or “just propaganda.” Trump urged the audience to “be very, very careful,” stressing that “bad things are happening, and we’re not going to let that happen” while vowing that his administration and the Justice Department would act decisively against such extremism.
Trump spoke at length about Iran, Israeli security, and American military strength. He noted that US forces helped Israel intercept waves of Iranian drones, adding, “Don’t ever let anyone tell you a drone is better than a jet fighter… we had F‑22s circling around them, just shooting the crap out of them out of the air.”
He described the June strike on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, saying US stealth bombers struck targets in the “dark of night” with “every single bomb” going “right down those air shafts into granite mountains.”
The mission, Trump said, “obliterated Iran’s nuclear program like nobody’s ever seen,” and he mocked CNN for doubting his use of the word “obliterated” until international inspectors confirmed the extent of the damage.
The President highlighted the Abraham Accords and broader regional normalization, crediting Jared Kushner and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, for their roles. He added the United States now has “legitimate peace in the Middle East,” saying that “59 countries all signed on” and that many would be willing to move against Hezbollah if necessary.
“We really have peace in the Middle East for the first time ever,” Trump asserted, adding that Hamas knows “if they act up, it’s big trouble” and that “there’s tremendous unity now in the Middle East.”
He noted the ceasefire agreement to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages, including the remains of murdered young Israelis, saying he was especially proud that “one by one by one, we got them back.”
Trump warned that the political climate in Washington has shifted, lamenting that what he called the once‑dominant “Jewish lobby” is “not that way anymore.” “You have a Congress in particular which is becoming antisemitic,” he charged, singling out members of “The Squad” such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ilhan Omar, whom he accused of hating Jewish people and Israel.
He tied these trends to surging campus antisemitism, citing Columbia and Harvard as examples where “Jewish students and faculty are under siege.” Trump reminded the audience that early in his presidency he had signed “the strongest executive order of its kind ever” to combat antisemitism and promised that his administration was deporting “foreign jihadist sympathizers and terrorist supporters at record levels.”
As the reception drew to a close, Trump stated, “As President of the United States, I will always support Jewish Americans, and I will always be a friend and a champion to the Jewish people. I have been.”
“The story of Hanukkah reminds us that light will always prevail over darkness, and faith in triumph over fear,” he said, before wishing the crowd a “Happy Hanukkah” and concluding with, “We love you, and we love Israel.”