From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 17, 2025
Trump warns hostage deal ‘better be done before I take the oath of office’ on Monday
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WASHINGTON — US President-elect Donald Trump says the hostage-ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas better be finalized before his inauguration on Monday and says his involvement was crucial for the negotiation.
“We changed the course of it, and we changed it fast, and frankly, it better be done before I take the oath of office,” Trump says in a podcast interview with Dan Bongino.
Trump also says “we shook hands, and we signed certain documents, but it better be done.”
The truce is expected to begin Sunday, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a “last-minute crisis” with Hamas is holding up his government’s approval.
Trump claims Biden hadn’t done anything to bring about the deal.
????PRESIDENT TRUMP LIVE ON THE DAN BONGINO SHOW????
“ THERE WOULD BE NO HOSTAGE DEAL WITHOUT US.. And it BETTER BE DONE BY THE TIME I TAKE THE OATH” pic.twitter.com/NUvf0Jw3bU— Johnny St.Pete (@JohnMcCloy) January 16, 2025
“I’m not looking for credit. I want to get these people out,” he says. “We’ve got to get them out.”
He likened the situation to the hostage Iran hostage crisis that was resolved moments after then-president Ronald Raegan entered office in the place of Jimmy Carter.
“For three years they’ve lived like in hell,” Trump said of the hostages, who have been in captivity for 470 days. “We gotta get them out, and it’ll be great when we do.”
The Times of Israel Community.