Republicans and other opponents of President Joe Biden expressed outrage on Monday that he called a press "lid" at 11:46 am on Monday, rather than speaking to reporters about the Hamas attacks on Israel and what is known about American deaths and hostages being held there. 

Conservatives were already upset that Biden didn't cut short a party for his staffers on Sunday because of the attacks, which have killed over 1,500 people so far between Israelis and Hamas fighters.

John Roberts of Fox News wrote on X, With war raging in Israel, the @WhiteHouse called a lid for @JoeBiden at 11:46 a.m.

With war raging in Israel, the @WhiteHouse called a lid for @JoeBiden at 11:46am.

— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) October 9, 2023

Taking the day off?

"We have Americans held hostage by Hamas and Joe Biden is taking the day off," Greene posted on X. "President Trump would never do this. He would not stop working until he got our people back. None of this would have ever happened in the first place if he were in the White House."

We have Americans held hostage by Hamas and Joe Biden is taking the day off.

President Trump would never do this. He would not stop working until he got our people back.

None of this would have ever happened in the first place if he were in the White House. https://t.co/geX6CgToik

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) October 9, 2023

"There is an international crisis. The border is out of control. Americans are struggling with inflation. @JoeBiden left work before noon. He is unfit for the job," former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake wrote on X.

There is an international crisis.

The border is out of control.

Americans are struggling with inflation.@JoeBiden left work before noon.

He is unfit for the job. https://t.co/UO1aEJ54Wv

— Kari Lake (@KariLake) October 9, 2023

Biden met with advisors

Newsweek was quick to point out that calling a lid does not mean Biden is taking a day off, as Greene claimed.

Biden met with advisors including Blinken, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients on Monday morning and spoke to several U.S. allies in the afternoon.

He released a statement by Monday evening that confirmed that 11 Americans had died in the Hamas attacks and reiterated that America was "standing shoulder to shoulder" with the Israeli people and government, even if he didn't speak directly with reporters.

This is not to defend Biden, who has not been Israel's strongest supporter and could have indirectly encouraged Hamas to go after its enemy.

With Biden, there is almost always room for improvement, but painting him as non-responsive to the crisis is also not accurate at the current time.

Of course, the U.S. should not rush off to join Israel in fighting Hamas any more than it should send soldiers to Ukraine, but when support can be given for Israel to help defend itself, as Biden has been doing, it is certainly warranted.