Secretary of State Interrupts Trump with Handwritten Note on Gaza Peace Deal
An pressing handwritten message passed to Donald Trump by his top diplomat, Marco Rubio, suggested that an announcement regarding a peace agreement in Gaza might be made imminently.
Captured in a photograph, the note's text urged the president to authorize a post on his Truth Social platform to break the news first.
"Nearly there," it read, as shown in the image. "We need you to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first."
Shortly after the note was seen, Trump posted on his platform, expressing he was "very proud" to reveal the initial stage of the agreement.
"This indicates that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Long-lasting, and Enduring Peace," he wrote.
The Moment the Note Was Passed to Trump
Trump was holding a roundtable event with conservative influencers about antifa when Rubio, standing in the back corner of the White House's Blue Room, got his attention.
He wanted to share an update for Trump, he explained, but it would have to wait until after the media departed. Then, Rubio handed the president the message.
"I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we're nearing completion to a deal on the Middle East, and they're gonna need me pretty quickly," Trump announced. "So we'll take a couple of more questions."
Behind the Scenes of the Peace Talks
The event had already been underway for more than an hour when Rubio came forward. The president invited him to come in, and Rubio whispered something to Trump before giving him the note.
The note's urgent tone coincided with Trump's key regional advisor, Steve Witkoff, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and other high-ranking diplomats joined a third day of peace talks between Israel and Hamas at an Red Sea location – a sign that delegates are working to tackle the most challenging topics of a US plan to end the war in Gaza.
Trump's Comments on Middle East Travel
Trump had begun the gathering by telling assembled journalists that he planned to travel to the Middle East "toward the end of the week" and could even "visit multiple locations" in the region to Egypt and possibly Gaza as US diplomats neared completion of a deal.
Still, even after Rubio gave Trump the note, Trump continued to talk to the influencers and respond to queries from the media as the secretary of state became noticeably restless.
Wrapping Up the Meeting
Almost 10 minutes after his earlier statement about departing, Trump said: "I must leave now to try and resolve some problems in the Middle East – although I'm ably assisted by our secretary of state. He could probably do an more effective job than me, but who knows."
"We wish to avoid to take any chances. So we're going to go and do that," Trump continued.
He then proposed that two attendees stay and take questions in his absence. Nonetheless, Trump continued to take questions before the event finally broke up without Cabinet members remaining behind.
"We will achieve peace in the Middle East," Trump concluded by saying. "That is exactly what we want to do."