Trump Expresses 'absolute Confidence' As Steve Witkoff Is Sworn In As Special Middle East Envoy

President Donald Trump’s caller typical envoy to nan Middle East was sworn successful by Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday successful an Oval Office ceremony.

Speaking earlier nan swearing-in, Trump praised Witkoff, who was instrumental successful securing an extended ceasefire betwixt Israel and Hamas and nan return of 33 hostages, including 2 Americans, who were being held by Hamas. 

Trump said Witkoff has "been pinch me, much aliases less, 1 measurement aliases nan other, each measurement of nan way," adding that he has "absolute assurance and support and trust" successful his Middle East envoy's expertise to unafraid cardinal deals successful nan realm of overseas diplomacy, specified arsenic ceasefire agreements betwixt Israel and Hamas and betwixt Ukraine and Russia. 

Though Witkoff is simply a existent property businessman by trade, Trump said he "quickly established himself arsenic 1 of nan toughest, smartest and champion negotiators successful nan business," which is why he chose him for nan important domiciled of typical envoy to nan Middle East.

TRUMP'S GOODWILL TESTED AS PUTIN IGNORES PEACE EFFORTS DURING WITKOFF'S VISIT

Steve Witkoff is sworn successful arsenic typical envoy by Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a ceremonial successful nan Oval Office of nan White House pinch President Donald Trump Tuesday, May 6, 2025, successful Washington.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

"As a businessman, he's admired and respected by all, and now Steve is putting his talents to activity for America's typical envoy to nan United States and making a batch of progress. Our state is blessed to person a negotiator of specified accomplishment and acquisition who really selflessly steps up to nan plate, puts himself guardant each nan time," nan president said.

Trump did statement location was somewhat of a learning curve for Witkoff erstwhile it came to overseas authorities relations but said he has been "figuring it out" astatine a lightning pace. 

"It takes him astir an hr to fig it out," Trump said. "After that, he's brutal. He does a awesome job." 

NEXT US NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR? HERE'S WHO TRUMP MIGHT PICK TO REPLACE WALTZ

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and President Donald Trump's typical envoy, Steve Witkoff, shake hands each different anterior to talks astatine nan Kremlin successful Moscow, Russia, April 25, 2025. (Kristina Kormilitsyna, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Trump noted Witkoff has already been progressive complete nan past respective months, gathering pinch Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders from Iran. 

"He's moving tirelessly to extremity nan bloody and destructive conflicts," said Trump, touting Witkoff's occurrence truthful acold successful negotiations pinch various world leaders.

After nan ceremony, Trump took questions from reporters, addressing a scope of topics, including nan just-announced ceasefire betwixt nan U.S. and nan Houthis. When asked astir conflicting reports indicating nan Houthis do not scheme to extremity attacking Israel, Trump said that nan panic group's surrogates person indicated "very strongly" that "they want thing to do pinch [the United States]."  

Trump was besides asked questions astir nan ongoing conflict betwixt Israel and Hamas successful Gaza, and, successful particular, astir nan merchandise of nan remaining 21 surviving hostages. 

"This is simply a unspeakable situation. We're trying to get nan hostages out. We've gotten a batch of them out," Trump told reporters, noting it is besides conscionable important to find and return nan bodies of those already killed by Hamas. 

TRUMP'S SPECIAL ENVOY ON PUTIN'S CONTINENTAL ASPIRATIONS: ‘I JUST DON’T SEE THAT HE WANTS TO TAKE ALL OF EUROPE'

He shared that 2 weeks agone a mates whose boy died arsenic a hostage came to him and said, "Please, sir, my boy is dead. Please get america backmost his body." 

"They wanted his body. He's dead," Trump said from nan Oval Office aft Witkoff's confirmation. "They know. He said they wanted his assemblage arsenic overmuch arsenic you would want nan boy if he was alive. It's a very sad thing."

President Donald Trump speaks earlier Steve Witkoff is sworn successful arsenic a typical envoy during a ceremonial successful nan Oval Office of nan White House Tuesday, May 6, 2025, successful Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein))

Trump besides commented connected Iran and its imaginable development of atomic weaponry. The president said definitively that "they're not going to person a atomic weapon."

"This is really crunch time. I would show you, for Iran and for their country, this is simply a very important clip for Iran. This is nan astir important clip successful nan history of Iran, for Iran, and I dream they do what's right," Trump told reporters. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

"I'd emotion to spot a bid deal, a beardown bid deal. … We want it to beryllium a successful country," he added. "We don't want to do thing that's going to get successful nan measurement of that. But they can't person a atomic weapon. And if they take to spell a different route, it's going to beryllium a very sad thing. And it's thing we don't want to person to do, but we person nary choice."