Donald Trump’s team has tried to claim credit for the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire hours after President Joe Biden announced it from the White House.
The Biden administration reportedly briefed the president-elect’s national security team to inform them of the agreement and the commitments made, but Trump officials were not directly involved in the negotiations, according to a senior Biden administration official.
The deal, which marks a major breakthrough in the devastating conflict that has gripped the Middle East, was actually brokered by Biden who called it a “historic” moment for the world.
“Today’s announcement is a critical step … and so I applaud the courageous decision made by the leaders of Lebanon and Israel to end the violence,” he said in remarks from the Rose Garden Tuesday.
“It reminds us that peace is possible. Say that again, peace is possible.”
Despite this, Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, was quick to credit the president-elect for the deal.
“Everyone is coming to the table because of President Trump,” Waltz wrote in a post on X. “His resounding victory sent a clear message to the rest of the world that chaos won’t be tolerated. I’m glad to see concrete steps towards deescalation in the Middle East.”