Staff Reports
President Joe Biden’s recent attempts to bask in the glow of an Israel-Hamas ceasefire have sparked nothing short of eye-rolling among those who remember the actual chain of events. While Biden seemed eager to take a victory lap, claiming that his administration’s hard work over the past eight months led to the ceasefire, the reality was a different story altogether. It appears that the real architects of this agreement were none other than Donald Trump’s team, which had been called in to save Biden from his own inability to negotiate a peaceful resolution.
Reports indicate that even the Biden administration itself had to admit that Trump’s team was “absolutely critical” in finalizing the resolution. This comes as quite a surprise, especially after months of Biden’s administration floundering under pressure from a progressive faction that wanted the president to adopt a more anti-Israel stance. Nevertheless, after failing to produce results for half a year, Biden saw an opportunity to capitalize on Trump’s past efforts just as the former president was preparing to take office again. One has to wonder how Biden found it in himself to take credit for something that his administration could barely manage.
BREAKING: Joe Biden started his final address to the nation by taking credit for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, even though both the Palestinians and Israelis agree that it was Trump who got Netanyahu to budge.
"This plan was developed and negotiated by my team and will be largely… pic.twitter.com/LYLSO7EQKC
— George (@BehizyTweets) January 16, 2025
In what can only be described as a dramatic flair for the theatrical, Biden declared his influence in the negotiations during a recent televised address. He boldly asserted that it was due to his administration’s tireless negotiations that a cease-fire and hostage deal were finally struck. According to Biden, it was all in a day’s work for his “team.” What’s amusing, of course, is the fact that his team had largely been sidelined, allowing Trump’s people to step in and do the heavy lifting.
Just hours before Biden made his claims, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was busy acknowledging the contributions of those on Trump’s side. Miller stressed that the involvement of the incoming administration was not just helpful but essential to reaching an agreement. So, Biden’s narrative starts to unravel faster than a cheap suit at a high-stakes poker game when factual reality strikes. In the world of politics, where optics often trumps truths, there’s a fine line between taking credit for a job well done and misrepresenting the actual contributors to that success.
And if that isn’t enough, an Israeli news outlet reported that the outgoing Biden administration handed over the reins of negotiation to Steve Witkoff, Trump’s incoming special envoy for the Middle East. Witkoff, a businessman rather than a career diplomat, was recognized for his straightforward, aggressive approach to negotiations, a stark contrast to the usual diplomatic niceties. Instead of niceties that these situations typically demand, it seems the Biden administration, perhaps recognizing their shortcomings, allowed someone with a penchant for getting things done to lead the charge. This implies the only “change in the rules of the game” might have been the acknowledgment that letting someone who knows how to reach a consensus is a smarter tactic than clinging to ineffective protocols.
So, while the Biden administration may have touted its role in the ceasefire, the reality is as clear as day: Donald Trump and his team deserve the lion’s share of the credit for navigating complex negotiations. Watching Biden scramble to take credit for something he almost entirely relied on someone else to deliver is more entertaining than a sitcom. It’s a classic case of “don’t shoot the messenger,” except in this case, the incoming messenger clearly took the lead while the outgoing messenger was merely happy to ride along for the applause.
