Donald Trump and ally Matt Gaetz to speak tonight at event in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH — Donald Trump and one of his most vocal allies, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, are slated to speak tonight to a Palm Beach County-based group of Trump loyalists known as Club 47 USA.

The “sold-out” event is expected to get underway at 6 p.m. at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach.

Trump, who has a commanding lead as front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, has already seized on the escalating war in Israel to put the spotlight on what he called the incompetence of President Joe Biden, lambasting him for everything from his immigration policies to his unsteady gait and confusion on stage.

During a campaign event in New Hampshire on Monday, Trump blamed his successor for the surprise attack by Hamas on Israel over the weekend and warned of the “very, very grave danger” of a World War III.

“The atrocities we are witnessing in Israel would never have happened if I was president,” he said. “Joe Biden betrayed Israel.”

Hamas staged a deadly attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip over the weekend, prompting the Israeli government to declare war. More than 1,900 people have been killed on both sides and the conflict is expected to soon escalate into a ground war.

On Saturday, President Biden made it clear that the U.S. “stands with the people of Israel in the face of these terrorist assaults. Israel has the right to defend itself and its people, full stop. There’s never a justification for terrorist attacks and my administration’s support for Israeli’s security is rock solid and unwavering.’’

But Biden has come under attack for a $6 billion deal he made with Iran to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets in exchange for a prisoner swap that secured the release of five U.S. citizens being held hostage.

Republicans claim the deal helped fuel the surprise assault on Israel.

After Trump took office in 2017, he launched a ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

On Monday, he vowed to reimpose a travel ban on people coming from predominantly Muslim countries if he wins reelection next year. Biden reversed the ban shortly after taking office.

On Monday, Trump claimed that “tens of thousands of probable terrorists” had entered the U.S. since the travel ban was lifted. “The bloodshed and killing we saw this week will never, ever be allowed to happen on American soil,” he said.

Trump also took aim at Biden’s occasional trips and falls.

“We have a man that can’t even walk off the stage,” Trump said. “We have an incompetent president — he has no clue.”

Club 45 USA began in 2018 as a fan club for Trump, the nation’s 45th president, and to help prepare for the 2020 election. The club has since been renamed Club 47 USA. If Trump were to win the presidency in 2024, he would be the 47th president.

The club’s website describes its members as being “PROUD to be ULTRA-MAGA.”

This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan