Top Diplomat Interrupts Trump with Handwritten Note on Middle East Peace Deal
A urgent handwritten message passed to Donald Trump by his top diplomat, Marco Rubio, suggested that an declaration regarding a ceasefire deal in Gaza might be made very soon.
Recorded in a image, the note's contents urged the president to approve a message on his Truth Social platform to break the news first.
"Nearly there," the note read, as shown in the photo. "You are needed to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first."
Shortly after the note was revealed, Trump posted on his platform, expressing he was "extremely pleased" to announce the first phase of the agreement.
"This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released shortly, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an mutually accepted line as the first steps toward a Robust, Long-lasting, and Enduring Peace," he wrote.
The Moment the Note Was Handed to Trump
Trump was holding a roundtable event with right-leaning commentators about far-left groups when Rubio, positioned in the back corner of the White House's Blue Room, got his attention.
He wanted to share an update for Trump, he said, but it would have to be delayed until after the media left. Then, Rubio handed the president the message.
"I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we're very close to a deal on the Middle East, and they're gonna require my input pretty quickly," Trump announced. "So we'll take a couple of more questions."
Background of the Peace Talks
The event had already been underway for more than an hour when Rubio first approached. The president welcomed him to enter, and Rubio quietly spoke something to Trump before giving him the note.
The note's pressing nature came as Trump's top Middle East adviser, Steve Witkoff, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and other senior officials joined a third round of peace talks between Israel and Hamas at an Egyptian resort – a indication that negotiators aim to tackle the most challenging topics of a US plan to halt hostilities in Gaza.
Trump's Remarks on Middle East Travel
Trump had kicked off the gathering by informing assembled journalists that he planned to travel to the Middle East "near the conclusion of the week" and could even "visit multiple locations" in the region to Cairo and possibly Gaza as US negotiators neared completion of a deal.
Still, even after Rubio gave Trump the note, Trump kept speaking to the influencers and respond to queries from the media as the secretary of state became noticeably restless.
Wrapping Up the Meeting
Nearly 10 minutes after his earlier statement about departing, Trump said: "I have to go now to try and resolve some problems in the Middle East – although I'm very well represented by our secretary of state. He could likely do an more effective job than me, but who knows."
"We don't want to take any chances. So we're going to go and do that," Trump added.
He then suggested that Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem remain and answer inquiries in his stead. Nonetheless, Trump continued to take questions before the event finally broke up without administration officials remaining behind.
"We're gonna get peace in the Middle East," Trump concluded by saying. "That's what we want to do."