Biden & Trump Compete For Credit After Gaza Ceasefire Deal Is Struck

Incoming President Donald Trump and outgoing President Joe Biden set their animosity aside to direct their advisers to push a ceasefire deal for Israel and Hamas, which was officially announced Wednesday evening.

The deal is set to commence on Sunday, one day before Trump takes office.

Brett McGurk, Biden’s Middle East negotiator, was recently joined by Trump’s Middle East negotiator, Steve Witkoff, after weeks of lone efforts by McGurk. Witkoff’s priority was to see the deal finished by Inauguration Day.

For Trump, the deal means he can focus his priorities elsewhere in his second term. If the deal holds, it will serve to be one last victory for Biden as he hopes to end the deadliest conflict in Israeli-Palestinian history and free American and Israeli hostages.

When a reporter asked Biden if Trump should get credit for the deal, Biden responded, “Is that a joke?”

Biden said the negotiations he was involved in were the “toughest” he had ever experienced.

“This deal was developed and implemented under my administration, but its terms will be implemented for, the most part, by the next administration. In these past few days, we’ve been speaking as one team,” Biden said.

Trump had previously warned that if a deal wasn’t struck by the time he was sworn in, “It will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out.”

Trump recently took to social media, saying that the deal would not have been possible if not for his November win, which “signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans and our Allies.”

A Trump transition official told reporters on Wednesday, “Joe Biden is going out sad. Lying to the nation, trying to take credit for a deal that all parties credit President Trump for making happen. Biden has had well over a year to secure the release of these hostages and peace. He failed. Trump succeeded.”