Since Hamas launched its vicious attack on Israel in the early morning hours of Saturday, the response from the White House has been muddled at best. First, it took hours for Joe Biden himself to speak on the matter. As those hours ticked by, and while Israelis were still being slaughtered, the State Department issued a statement calling for "all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks" before belatedly deleting the tone-deaf messaging. A written statement by (on behalf of) Biden was issued mid-morning on Saturday, but Biden himself didn't emerge until well into the afternoon to offer very brief remarks in which he acknowledged he didn't get up and start taking calls on the matter until eight or nine hours after the attack began. 

Then there was virtual radio silence from Biden through Sunday, save for reports that he and Jill were hosting a barbecue in the Rose Garden. On Monday, the president called a lid before noon. Later that evening, it came to light that Biden had spent parts of Sunday and Monday sitting for an interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur over his alleged mishandling of classified documents. 

Finally, on Tuesday afternoon, over an hour after the announced time for his remarks, Biden addressed the country. And while he acknowledged the evil of Hamas and spoke pointedly (more so than many expected) about the barbarity and the United States' unequivocal support of Israel, he declined to acknowledge or condemn Iran's almost certain role in the attacks. 

On Tuesday evening, former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany joined Fox News host Jesse Watters to share her thoughts on Biden's response — and she did not hold back, excoriating the president and his administration for its many failings in the face of crisis. 

WATCH: 

Watters began the segment by asking McEnany, "Does Joe Biden understand the gravity of the situation, where we have American hostages in the Gaza Strip held by Hamas?" McEnany's response was emphatic: 

No. He doesn't. The President of the United States did a 72-hour vanishing act. This president went to a barbecue on Sunday. This president had a holiday on Monday. You know who didn't have a holiday on Monday? The hostages. Hostages don't get holidays. 

What happened in that 72-hour period where our commander in chief vanished? We learned about 40 dead babies, some of whom had been decapitated. We learned about a nine-month-old that got abducted. My 10-month-old is upstairs sleeping. He was fed five times today his diaper changed — I don't know how many times — you think that nine-month-old is being fed? Of course he's not, Jesse. We learned, God forbid, a mom who was murdered, whose baby was attached by an umbilical cord, visibly shot by Hamas. 

And our president couldn't find his way to a microphone? I don't care if you can't get to the Oval, Joe. I don't care if you can't get to the podium. Gosh, press staff, bring a microphone to his bedside. He should have addressed this country. We have American hostages, we have Americans killed. Our commander in chief chose to be Houdini instead of the commander of this country and the leader of the free world. 

It's despicable. And his remarks today? No mention of Iran, no deliverables, no excuse. Yes, he had a few strong words for the terrorists. He had strong words on behalf of Israel. Words are cheap, Joe Biden. I need to see action.

Watters then observed: 

He did not meet the emotional moment that this required. He didn't meet the emotional moment of the world, this country, and I'm worried, Kayleigh, that he's going to be tempted to kind of ignore the hostage situation and make sure that the media doesn't cover it and pivot to other things. Right now, this should be his number one focus. Do you think this is his number one focus? Because his people are saying global warming is.

McEnany responded: 

Yeah, I think that that is closer to his number one focus. I think his number one focus is winning the election next year. And the entire opening of Politico this morning was about the massive pressure on Joe Biden by his left flank. How can he stay the course when Ilhan Omar and AOC — and the media, Jesse? Right now, the media is being forced to talk to the victims. What happens in five days — as a Democrat congressman said anonymously to Politico — when they stop talking to victims? When they stop showing these images? When the media does what they always do, and the left does what they always do — they do a heel turn, and they throw Israel under the bus, and it all becomes about the Palestinians. 

There's no moral equivalency here. As you said, this is terrorists versus Israel. It is not nation versus nation. But wait, wait — give it four days, five days. The media is going to change on this and Joe Biden? I hope he doesn't change with them. 

That last hope expressed might be overly optimistic on McEnany's part. We are, after all, 13 months out from a presidential election and, feeble or no, Biden seems intent on shuffling on toward it. Which naturally means the prediction of a pivot is likely spot-on. These are the times when, regardless of politics, most would like to see their leader rise to the occasion and, as Watters mentioned, meet the moment. Given Biden's apparent inability to rise until many hours after the horror began unfolding, I'm not holding my breath.