President Biden had a simple response when a reporter asked who should take the credit for the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that was reported on Wednesday.
“Is that a joke?” Biden shot back when asked if he or President-elect Trump would be the one to claim the win for a deal that might finally wrap up the 15-month-long conflict in Gaza.
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As we previously reported, Trump jumped on the news of the deal before the White House even dropped an official statement a few hours later. He didn’t hold back, claiming the credit for himself and insisting that this deal wouldn’t have gone down if he hadn’t won against Vice President Harris back in November.
While announcing the deal with Harris right there next to him, Biden kept it real, saying it would kick in after he steps out of office. He mentioned that his crew has been in touch with Trump’s incoming team to make it happen. Trump is set to take the oath on Monday.
“I’d also note, this deal was developed and negotiated under my administration, but its terms will be implemented, for the most part, by the next administration. For these past few days, we’ve been speaking as one team,” the president said in remarks from the White House.
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He pointed out that this deal is built on the same framework his administration worked on back in May. He also mentioned that Israel managed to put some serious pressure on Hamas, thanks to support coming in from the U.S.
“I knew this deal would have to be implemented by the next team, so I told my team to coordinate closely with the incoming team to make sure we’re all speaking with the same voice, because that’s what America’s presidents do,” Biden said.
Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, teamed up with Biden’s negotiators to nail down the deal. In his statement, Trump emphasized that Witkoff and his incoming national security crew “are gonna keep working closely with Israel and our allies to ensure Gaza NEVER turns into a terrorist safe haven again.”
The Biden administration has been grinding for months to put together a ceasefire deal, especially after over a year of conflict that kicked off with Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s follow-up campaign against the U.S.-designated terrorist group in Gaza.
On the flip side, Trump cautioned that “all hell” would break loose in the Middle East if hostages weren’t released before he takes office on Monday.
