Republican lawmakers and American taxpayers weighed in on President Joe Biden’s highly-touted Gaza Pier he announced during his State of the Union speech.
The project was an attempt by the Biden administration to quell criticism from progressive voters that it was not doing enough to alleviate famine in Gaza.
Biden had announced back in March:
Tonight, I’m directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters. No U.S. boots will be on the ground. This temporary pier would enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every day.
However, just eight days after the “pier” went operational on May 17, it broke into pieces due to waves, has had to be dismantled twice, and has delivered far less aid than envisioned.
Aid distribution from the pier is now suspended, after rumors it was used to help evacuate an injured Israeli soldier.
According to the administration, the initial estimate for the project was $320 million, but it now says it is $230 million and counting.
Israelis walk near a U.S. Army vessel at that ran aground at a beach in the coastal city of Ashdod on May 25, 2024. The U.S. military said four of its vessels, supporting a temporary pier built to deliver aid to Gaza by sea, had run aground in heavy seas. (OREN ZIV/AFP via Getty Images)
The Pentagon says the final cost will depend on how long it will operate — which for now, is unknown.
A humanitarian aid official told CNN the project was a “very expensive distraction.”
After Breitbart News obtained and posted exclusive video of the “pier” — which looks like pieces of scrap metal tied together bobbing in the waves with portable toilets balanced treacherously on top — Republican lawmakers and members of the public expressed disbelief.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) posted on X: “A good summary of Biden’s foreign policy.”
A good summary of Biden’s foreign policy ⬇️ https://t.co/7kecrO1eaH
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) June 15, 2024
Similarly, a commenter wrote about the “pier”: “If Build Back Better and Biden’s Foreign Policy had a baby.”
If Build Back Better and Biden’s Foreign Policy had a baby: https://t.co/klSiOO9AFD
— Conservative Masshole Stands With Israel 🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@TheTimDeFelice) June 15, 2024
Some naval experts weighed in on the folly of the pier being used in a way it was not meant to be used.
Military naval blogger and podcaster Cdr. Salamander noted, “Those are not all-that-rough seas.”
Note: those are not all-that-rough seas. https://t.co/SbaIwbaMQi
— cdrsalamander (@cdrsalamander) June 14, 2024
A Navy Reserve captain responded:
Supposed to be set up inside a breakwater, not facing open water.
— Mark Tempest (@lawofsea) June 14, 2024
CEO of maritime news website @gCaptain and former ship captain John Konrad also responded with a screenshot of an analysis of the pier system that showed it was never meant to operate in waves that reached over five feet.
Yep, a very common problem they should be ready for:https://t.co/jpHAOO9kfP pic.twitter.com/RU7cqBQW7s
Yep, a very common problem they should be ready for:https://t.co/jpHAOO9kfP pic.twitter.com/RU7cqBQW7s
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) June 14, 2024
Conservative show host and retired New York Police Department detective Rob O’Donnell wrote on X, “Again, this structure via the Army Standards and specs is only suitable for a Sea State of 1 or 2, with limited operation in Sea State 3. This area of the Mediterranean averages a Sea State of 3-5 which they knew exceeded capable limits.”
Retired Navy Commander Kirk Lippold responded, “Every General Officer and/or Admiral who approved this operation, knowing the pier’s design constraints, should be prosecuted under UCMJ for dereliction of duty. No more military leaders acquiescing to incompetent political operatives who care more about votes than lives.”
Every General Officer and/or Admiral who approved this operation, knowing the pier’s design constraints, should be prosecuted under UCMJ for dereliction of duty. No more military leaders acquiescing to incompetent political operatives who care more about votes than lives.
— Kirk Lippold (@KirkLippold) June 15, 2024
Similarly, Marine veteran and podcaster Leigh Wolf said it was “borderline criminal” that Biden had the pier built even if it was not designed for open water and “wouldn’t make it very long.”
What’s borderline criminal is that Biden was absolutely briefed that this system wasn’t designed for open water and that it wouldn’t make it very long.
— 🐺 (@LeighWolf) June 14, 2024
Biden did it anyway. https://t.co/1ITVLWEg50
Former Trump Assistant Attorney General Todd Clark compared it to a bridge that collapsed in 1940 after four months. “This reminds me of the destruction by harmonics of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (“Galloping Gertie”),” he wrote.
This reminds me of the destruction by harmonics of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (“Galloping Gertie”).https://t.co/cuEAEZ2eQW
— Jeff Clark (@JeffClarkUS) June 14, 2024
Famous example of resonance in action. Great object lesson for physics classes and for engineers. https://t.co/JsCCLHgr28 pic.twitter.com/rUHRXbFSBc
Others commented on the hundreds of millions wasted on the project.
Buzz Patterson, a retired Air Force pilot posted: “We wasted how much on this boondoggle?”
We wasted how much on this boondoggle? https://t.co/3g7NLtfVBC
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) June 14, 2024
Chaya Raichik, creator of Libs of TikTok, posted: “How many millions did Biden spend on this?”
Did they use scraps from the Waterworld set to build this?
— Let’s Theorize (@LetsTheorize) June 14, 2024
Someone joked in reference to the exorbitantly-expensive box office flop, “Did they use scraps from the Waterworld set to build this?”
The editor of Current Affairs magazine noted dryly: “Your tax dollars at work.”
your tax dollars at work https://t.co/AGAzDoUGi3
— Nathan J Robinson (@NathanJRobinson) June 14, 2024
Ryan Saavedra, senior reporter at Daily Wire, added: “A PR stunt that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.”
A PR stunt that cost hundreds of millions of dollars https://t.co/kROVFvshG8
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) June 14, 2024
Someone noted that for $300 million, Elon Musk built a rocket that has delivered astronauts and thousands of satellites to space for years. “Just a reminder that government is bad at things,” the person noted.
. @JoeBiden built a pier for $320M, and it broke into pieces in less than a month. @elonmusk built a Falcon 9 rocket for about the same cost, and it has delivered astronauts & thousands of satellites to space, for years.
— Political Sock (@politicalsock) June 14, 2024
Just a reminder that government is bad at things. https://t.co/2UElJOIrgL pic.twitter.com/PbBllfXciZ
Others focused on the precariously-perched portable toilets.
Writer Doug powers posted: “‘Build Back Better’ in a nutshell. A $360 million project that crumbled within days and a few overflowing Port-a-Crappers dumping waste into the sea.”
“Build Back Better” in a nutshell. A $360 million project that crumbled within days and a few overflowing Port-a-Crappers dumping waste into the sea. https://t.co/5Fsy4tDwwW
— Doug Powers (@ThePowersThatBe) June 14, 2024
Someone posted: “Bro it’s literally some floating shitholes,” prompting someone to respond: “Half a billion dollars for Toilet Island.”
Half a billion dollars for Toilet Island
— Muslim Thomas Hussein Obama II (@MucahitTom) June 14, 2024
One person posted, “A floating port o potty.”
A floating port o potty https://t.co/NbHtQxkykD
— Phil Trumpelstern (@philwinkelstern) June 14, 2024
Another wrote, “Who puts a sliding shitter on a moving dock?”
Who puts a sliding shitter on a moving dock? https://t.co/hDTumetj8X
— HedgedIn (@noalpha_allbeta) June 14, 2024
Breitbart News editor Emma-Jo Morris reminded everyone that the pier was Biden’s “topline” announcement from his State of the Union address.
This was the topline announcement/pledge from his State of the Union speech. https://t.co/0jznAeC4U7
— Emma-Jo Morris (@EmmaJoNYC) June 14, 2024
One commenter said he felt sorry for the troops working on the “shitty pier.”
“Damn, I feel sorry for these Joes. Wasting away on a shitty pier to get 10k votes from Dearborn residents,” he wrote.
Damn, I feel sorry for these Joes. Wasting away on a shitty pier to get 10k votes from Dearborn residents. https://t.co/ifB3pTXCET
— Keebler (@keebler45) June 15, 2024
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) posted a video of himself questioning Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin the pier, and the risks to troops’ safety.
https://t.co/CilOpIYscV pic.twitter.com/vqAUg9E3PX
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 14, 2024
The pier was first operational on May 17, and then broke into pieces on May 25. The Pentagon claimed it was due to unforeseen weather events. It was then detached from Gaza on and then reattached on June 7. Since then, operations have been suspended, and it was detached again on June 14.
U.S. Central Command moves pier ahead of high seas
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 14, 2024
Today, due to expected high seas, the temporary pier will be removed from its anchored position in Gaza and towed back to Ashdod, Israel. The safety of our service members is a top priority and temporarily relocating the pier… pic.twitter.com/gvL2BYYYac
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