At President Joe Biden’s recent campaign rally, a dozen demonstrators interrupted his speech to demand a cease-fire in Gaza, highlighting the ongoing tensions within his party over his administration’s support for Israel in its offensive. The protests come as more than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Biden's ability to navigate these crosscurrents will be critical to his reelection effort as he tries to energize Democrats this fall, especially young people who are particularly concerned about the war's effects.

The president and his aides have said they do not want to see any civilians die in Hamas-ruled Gaza, and Biden helped broker a temporary cease-fire that saw critical aid reach the territory and the release of some hostages held by the militants. Despite disruptions at his events, Biden has tried to acknowledge and empathize with the concerns of his protesters and move on with his speeches, in stark contrast to how Trump has handled dissent in the past. Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler said Biden's response to demonstrators shows he's “a president who understands and respects Americans' fundamental First Amendment rights to peacefully protest.