Trump in Egypt: Diplomacy, Drama, and a "3000-Year" Peace Deal Claim

Handshakes, Power Plays, and Stagecraft

At the high-stakes peace summit in Egypt, Donald Trump’s presence was as theatrical as it was political. Upon arrival, he and French President Emmanuel Macron engaged in a 30-second handshake — a tug-of-war that quickly became a symbol of the power dynamics on display. A similar scene followed with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Trump even lifted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s hand into a forced thumbs-up pose for the cameras.

Trump’s conversation with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was notably long and, at times, confusing. Meanwhile, he greeted a delegate from the United Arab Emirates — whose sovereign wealth fund invested $2 billion into Trump’s crypto company — by remarking: “They got a lot of cash. Unlimited cash.”

Praise, Proposals, and Political Theater

The praise from other leaders was effusive. Pakistan’s Prime Minister declared:

“I would like to nominate this great president for the Nobel Peace Prize. Because I genuinely feel that he is the most genuine and most wonderful candidate… I think that you are the man this world needed most at this point in time. The world will always remember you as a man who did everything to stop seven, and today eight wars.”

Seated among global leaders, Trump declared confidently:

“They always talked about WW3 would start in the Middle East, that is not going to happen.”

Turning again to Macron, he quipped:

“I can’t believe it, you’re taking a low-key approach today. I imagined you standing behind me.”

The comment triggered orchestrated laughter from those in attendance.

Friends, Favorites, and Unfiltered Moments

Next, Trump turned his attention to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán:

“You are fantastic. I know a lot of people don’t agree with me, but I am the only one that matters. I endorsed him the last election and he won by 28 points. You will do even better this time if you have another election.”

He then made a peculiar remark about Canada:

“You have Canada. That’s so great to have, in fact. The president called and he wanted to know if it’s worth — well he knew exactly what it is. He knew the importance. Where’s Canada, by the way? Where are you? He knew the importance of this.”

Trump continued with a mix of praise and provocation:

“I have known so many of you for so long. You’re friends of mine, you’re great people. I have a couple I don’t like in particular but I won’t tell you who. I have a few actually I don’t like at all but you will never find out who they are. Maybe you will.”

Compliments and Hot Mics

Arriving without Melania Trump, Trump directed personal compliments toward Italy’s prime minister:

“Where is she? There she is! You don’t mind when I call you beautiful, right? Because it’s true,” he said of Giorgia Meloni, calling her “a beautiful and young woman.”

A hot mic later caught a conversation between Trump and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who asked about meetings with Trump’s sons, Eric and Don Jr. — despite their official separation from government affairs while running the family business.

“3,000 Years” to Peace?

After signing the ceasefire deal, Trump proclaimed:

“This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it?”

While the land of Israel and Palestine indeed has a history stretching back millennia, the modern conflict and peace efforts are far more recent — roughly a century old, dating back to the rise of Zionism, the fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the British Mandate. In reality, today’s agreement is the culmination of decades, not millennia, of negotiations.

Departure to Applause

After a day of headline-grabbing moments — from contentious handshakes to bold historical claims — Trump concluded his appearance in Egypt by boarding Air Force One to the sound of music, leaving behind a summit filled with spectacle, symbolism, and unresolved questions about the future of Middle East peace.